The Rinnegan: Gods Eyes
by Nova12
Summary: The most powerful of the three great eye techniques. Revered by civilians and shinobi alike the Rinnegan was said to have the power to make or destroy worlds. It was up to the destined child to decide. Would it be the redeemer or destroyer of ninja life?
1. Chapter 1 Parents legacy

**Rinnegan**

**Chapter 1 – Parents legacy **

"Kabuto-san," the short, spiky blonde haired figure of Uzumaki Naruto gasped in confusion, "what are you doing here?"

"You know who he is?" the tall, bulky figure of Jiraiya asked him with a sideward glance.

"Yeah," Naruto replied with a vigorous nod of his head, causing his hair to shake all over the place making it messier than it had been previously, "he was at the Chunnin exams."

Before Jiraiya could reply to Naruto he was barged out of the way as Tsunade, the women that they had spent the best part of four days searching for, went rampaging forward toward the grey haired young man who stood just metres in front of them, her fist cocked back, a look of pure rage on her face as she closed the distance between them.

As quickly as Tsunade's attack had been launched it came to an end. Naruto's eyes had been barely able to keep up with what was happening, all he knew was that Tsunade had now stopped her fist mere inches away from Kabuto's face. Blood splattered across the ground as it cascaded around Kabuto's kunai which lay embedded in Tsunade's forehead.

"Blood!" Tsunade shrieked. It was the most terrible shriek that Naruto had ever heard; it was a shriek of pure terror that echoed across the desert like wasteland they stood in.

"My body finally started to move," Kabuto told Tsunade victoriously, a smug expression on his face as he slowly pushed his glasses back up onto the perch of his nose, "bet you hadn't expected that, huh Lady Tsunade?"

Naruto couldn't tell what was up with Tsunade but it was like her body had just shut down. Sure the cut that Kabuto had nailed her with would of hurt but it shouldn't have caused her to become unresponsive, taking advantage of her state Kabuto unleashed a vicious kick to Tsunade's chest sending her sprawling backwards.

"TSUNADE-SAMA!" Shizune screamed as she dove to catch her injured master. Everything was happening so fast, he didn't understand what was happening. Why was Kabuto attacking the future Hokage? Why was he even here?

"What the hell is going?" Naruto shouted as Shizune landed on the ground with a thump beside him, Tsunade unresponsive body landing on top of her.

"Your stupidity continues to astound me," Kabuto told his fellow genin, casually whipping Tsunade's blood from his kunai, "it's the reason you can never hope to compare to Sasuke-Kun."

Anger welled up inside Naruto. Who was Kabuto to tell him he couldn't compare to Sasuke, he had managed to get through in the chunnin exams…Kabuto hadn't even managed to make it into preliminaries. Sasuke hadn't managed to even beat his opponent in the third part of the chunnin exam…in fact he had defeated him instead!

"Look at his headband kid," Jiraiya said to Naruto, snapping him out of his thoughts and making his eyes snap up to Kabuto's hitai-ite. There, where Naruto expected to see the little leaf symbol that represented all Konoha shinobi was the symbol he had seen a few times during the Chunnin exams…the symbol of the sound, "he's Orochimaru's subordinate."

A smile lit up upon Kabuto's face a look of pride as he proudly proclaimed, "That's right, I'm a spy for Otogakure no Sato."

"W…what?" Naruto stuttered, was it true? Could Kabuto, the man who had helped his team through the forest of death, really be working with Orochimaru? Had he helped him brand Sasuke with that weird seal, had he helped him kill the Sandaime?

"You know what I have discovered Naruto-Kun," Kabuto asked Naruto. His voice still the same friendly tone that had drew Konohagakure no Sato's rookie nine to him whilst they where waiting for Chunnin exams to start, "I concluded that you, unlike Sasuke-kun, have no talent as a shinobi."

It hit him hard. He'd been told many times that he would never make it as a shinobi but he'd never let it get to him. He'd ignored everything that was said, ignored the taunts of being the 'dead last', he had graduated despite everything and was now a shinobi of the hidden leaf. His breathing had gotten short and shallow as he struggled to control his anger, every fibre of his body was telling him to show Kabuto just what type of shinobi he was.

A gentle hand gripped his shoulder lightly, Naruto's head snapped up to see the friendly face of Jiraiya smiling down at him. His weird tattoos crinkled as he smiled and his normally lecherous face transformed into a pleasant smile.

"Don't listen to him kid," The toad Sannin told Naruto giving his shoulder another squeeze, "he isn't a proper a shinobi…he is in no position to cast judgement on your skills."

"Even if you do make a scary face it doesn't change the fact that out here," Kabuto informed Naruto "you are nothing more than an out of place genin. You rely on that monster inside you but next to the Sennin you are nothing. And I won't hesitate to kill you if you try something stupid."

It was the final straw for Naruto. He gave a roar of anger and started to charge only to be yanked back by the strong arm of Jiraiya.

"See even a fool like Jiraiya knows you would die if you tried something." Kabuto smirked.

"Actually," the toad Sannin corrected "I just don't want Naruto to risk getting his clothes dirty. I hear traitor's blood is hard to get out."

"You haven't changed Jiraiya," Orochimaru hissed from behind Kabuto, his amber eyes shining with malice as he stared at his former team mate, "you are still as weak as always."

"One mans weakness is another mans strength." Jiraiya countered a slight nod of his head, his eyes staring at Orochimaru who barred his teeth and growled, "Shizune, you handle the kid in the glasses. I'll take Orochimaru."

"But Jiraiya-sama," Shizune whispered barely loud enough for Naruto to hear "what about…." She trailed off.

"Tsunade isn't in a fit state to fix her mistake; I'll just have to deal with it." Jiraiya returned with an equally low whisper before turning to Tsunade, who had sank to her knees and was shaking, her blood no longer on her body. Probably thanks to Shizune, "heal yourself with your Jutsu, Tsunade-Hime."

"What about me!" Naruto argued, if this pervert thought for one second he was just going to sit back and watch as they fought he had another thing coming.

"You stay here and guard Tsunade." The white haired toad Sannin replied.

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled.

"Look," Jiraiya explained to Naruto "their dangerous ninja. Orochimaru killed the Sandaime and Kabuto could give Kakashi a run for his money…there just too powerful for you."

"But my Kage Bushin!" Naruto protested his hands already performing the seals.

"It's useless," Jiraiya told Naruto slapping the boy's hands breaking the chain of seals, "with those two as your opponents you're just wasting chakra. Just…just make sure nothing happens to Tsunade."

In a blur Jiraiya demonstrated speed which no man his age should have been capable of, he brought his thumb up to his mouth, bit it so a small trickle of blood rolled down the edge of the digit before slamming his open palm down onto the dusty ground and shouting.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu" _

His actions had been mirrored almost perfectly by Orochimaru and Kabuto, the combined effort just a fraction of a second behind that of Jiraiya's. Two loud bangs echoed across the wasteland, two pillars of smoke appearing and quickly disappearing and revealing a giant snake in the place of Kabuto and Orochimaru, who had taken residence on the beasts head and beside Jiraiya a small toad barely ankle high.

The intense look on Jiriaya's slipped being replaced with a look of utter disappointment as the little toad looked around curiously.

"Your stupidity is still as apparent as ever," Orochimaru mocked, "I guess this means I attack first. I have always known of your lack of talent…but even this is poor by your standards. Perhaps Tsunade has hindered you? Perhaps she was prepared to sacrifice the fool for her loved ones after all."

"Dammit," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Pathetic." Orochimaru sneered.

"HEY!" Naruto yelled, his arm out stretched and pointing to the pale figure of Orochimaru, "Don't talk to Ero-sennin like that!"

Naruto mimicked Jiraiya's earlier actions, biting his own thumb till it bled before slamming his hand down into the ground. He could feel every set of eyes on him as he attempted to summon Gamabunta and teach this bastard a lesson.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu"_

The same bang and smoke appeared as with Jiraiya and once the smoke cleared the same look of disappointment appeared on Naruto's face as had on Jiriaya's as it revealed a chubby, ankle high toad. Jiraiya eyed the boy with slight disappointment as he failed to summon anything that could hope to challenge that giant snake in front of them.

Orochimaru said something to Kabuto, but they where to far away from both Oto shinobi to hear what it was, not that they needed to because shortly after the giant snake reared back before launching himself at the gathered leaf shinobi. Jiraiya managed to shove Naruto roughly to the side before leaping away himself leaving the snake to go hurtling into the ground, causing it to crack and splinter at the impact.

"Why are you running Jiraiya?" Orochimaru called as the snake regained its bearings, "Your opponent is me. Give up on the boy, he'll die eventually anyway…why not let it be at the hands of a shinobi of my calibre?"

Jiraiya turned quickly, his hands flashing through numerous seals at a speed that put the majority of shinobi to shame before stopping and shout, "_Doton: Yomi Numa!" _

Orochimaru's amber eyes went wide. The ground around the snake turned from the hard rocky soil into a deep, marshy swamp in a matter of seconds. The swamp constricted his snake not allowing it to move and keeping from attacking again.

With a single jump Jiraiya made his way onto the head of the snake, metres away from Orochimaru who seemed completely undisturbed by the close arrival of his old team mate, just continuing to stand there as if Jiraiya was nothing but an academy student to him.

Beneath the two sennin and on the ground Shizune and Kabuto where engaging in battle. No matter how skilled the young woman was at medical jutsu she just wasn't a battling shinobi, even Naruto could see that. She wasn't as proficient at using her medical jutsu as offensive weapons like Kabuto was. Shizune exposed her forearm, a weird contraption attached to it which promptly fired of several senbon at the Oto medical shinobi, all of which Kabuto avoided before charging at Shizune. His hand flaring with chakra, the dark haired apprentice barely managed to jump back in time to avoid contact. As she dove backwards she inhaled and spat a mass of thick purple fog out of her mouth toward Kabuto.

The fog cleared and Kabuto was no where to be seen, Shizune looked around for any signed of the man her eyes lingering a little at the motionless form of Naruto which still hadn't gotten up after Jiraiya pushed him out of the way of Orochimaru's snake. With a crack Kabuto announced his return to the battle, searing pain erupted in Shizune legs as she felt Kabuto's arm burst through the ground underneath her and grab the back of her calves.

"My legs!" Shizune gasped as she fell to her knees, her legs giving out underneath her. Off to the side and away from the battles Naruto stirred managing to sit up, shaking his head as he turned to face the battle.

He could see Jiraiya and Orochimaru fighting on top of the snake and even without the use of his arms Orochimaru seemed to be holding his own against Jiraiya and Shizune…well Shizune wasn't fairing well at all. Kabuto was stood over her as Shizune desperately tried to heal her legs, giving the short black haired women the same smile he had given Tsunade before kicking her, he delivered a punch right to the women's jaw. A sickening crack followed which made even Naruto wince.

Naruto watched with dismay as Kabuto walked towards Tsunade. Tsunade still hadn't moved from her position, she seemed almost catatonic with fear her shaking still not ceasing, this was the women he was supposed to protect…the future Hokage of Konoha. He wasn't going to let some worthless traitor touch her!

Getting to his feet, ignoring the pain that seared through his body as he did so, he moved at speed he didn't know he could, fully intent of getting between Kabuto and Tsunade-Hime and stopping that bastard Kabuto.

Naruto stopped in between Kabuto and Tsunade. Kabuto's fist already on it's way to connecting with Tsunade; Naruto had barely arrived in time to stop the fist and hadn't had time to intercept the fist instead taking the punch himself. His head snapped back at the force of it.

"Naruto," Kabuto growled "I told you you'd die if you interfered."

Naruto turned his eyes back upon Kabuto. His face contorted with anger, teeth bared in an animalistic manner, his strange whisker like marks on his cheeks seemed deeper and more pronounced but it was his eyes that had changed the most. His eyes had gone from bright blue to a cool metallic silver colour that covered the entire eye; concentric circles getting progressively larger marked the silver which covered where the whites of his eyes should have be.

"Your…." Kabuto stuttered "your eyes!"

Naruto delivered a kick to Kabuto's gut which sent him stumbling a few feet backwards that gave the young Genin enough time to summon a Kage Bushin, momentarily pausing as his eyes where assaulted with multiple points of view making him blink in surprise before quickly focusing his chakra and letting the clone mould it into the spinning sphere of chakra that Jiraiya had been trying to teach him. As Naruto dove as Kabuto, the sphere of Chakra, spinning wildly in his hand Kabuto dodged it leaving Naruto to flying to a rock. The rock shattering into a thousand pieces as the ball of chakra hit it.

"You can't hit me Naruto," Kabuto sneered "you are a failure Uzumaki. A nothing, nobody, just a demon…"

"I'M NOT A DEMON!" Naruto roared as she got back up from his failed attack.

"That seal on your stomach says otherwise," Kabuto told Naruto "the only thing you'll be remembered for is holding the beast. Nothing more."

"SHUT UP!"

"I don't know what happened to your eyes," Kabuto told Naruto "Perhaps a side effect of the Kyubi…but it won't save you now. You'll be just another name on that worthless rock Konoha is so fond of."

Kabuto charged, his hand gripping a kunai. Naruto managed to create another clone before Kabuto got any closer, a plan formulating in his mind as Kabuto closed in on him with his kunai pointed at his heart.

"RUN NARUTO!" Tsunade screamed. Naruto's clone looked at the women in shock, the images of Tsunade no longer shaking in fear being sent back to the original Naruto.

It was too late however, Kabuto lunged forward the kunai resting between his fingers to make sure it would piece his heart, just as Naruto had hoped. Naruto at the last second moved his hand in front of his heart, the kunai piecing straight through the palm of his hand, his hand then closed around Kabuto's fist tightly gripping it despite his own injury.

"Until I become Hokage," Naruto growled between ragged breaths, "I refuse to die!"

Naruto stretched his free hand out and began to gather what was left of his chakra and the clone began to mould the chakra. The ball of chakra forming again, Naruto smiled in triumph as he saw Kabuto's eyes widen as he realised what was about to happen. Swinging his free arm the ball of Chakra hit Kabuto in the chest sending him spinning through the air before landing in the floor with a crack.

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"Those eyes…" Orochimaru gasped in surprise as he watched Naruto send Kabuto flying through the air. He and Jiraiya had come to a stand still, much to his dismay, his old team mate's strength had returned much sooner than he would have liked.

"It can't be…" Orochimaru turned his eyes once more to Jiraiya, who he saw was watching wide eyed at the scene below them.

"You know those eyes?" Orochimaru asked breathlessly, his head cocked to the side as he tried to figure out how Jiraiya knew about an eye technique that he had never seen.

Jiraiya turned his attention back to Orochimaru, looking at him shock in those dark brown eyes that no longer held the ties of friendship that they once had.

"Every shinobi worth his salt knows those eyes," Jiraiya told Orochimaru with a hint of smugness, "its thanks to those eyes you're able to use Ninjutsu."

Could it be? Surely it wasn't possible? Those eyes, the eyes Jiraiya had alluded to, where nothing but a legend. A legend created by the shinobi, a myth, he had never once dreamt that they where real. But they where in front of him…he could see them with his very own eyes.

What powers did hold? It was rumoured they allowed the legendry Sage of six paths to master all of the elements, to master things no other man had even dreamed of. To think that those eyes had awakened in _that _child, the child already…advantages or disadvantaged depending on your view, over other shinobi but with these eyes he could become a force of nature. A god among shinobi, more powerful than anybody. He could not have that. He could not have somebody with the potential to threaten everything he had worked so hard for, no…he would not waste those years of research, those years of failed attempts and years of trying to master every jutsu only to be undone by some brat who bares the Sages eyes.

He was left with only one option. Nobody knew the true power of the Rinnegan, nobody still alive had ever seen the Rinnegan in action but if it's legend was true even a fraction true…then he had no choice. He had to kill the brat before he had started to master the power of those eyes. Yes, the beast would not leave this wasteland.

With that final thought Orochimaru dived of the still trapped body of his summoned snake suddenly, plummeting towards the ground at breakneck speed. His amber eyes fixed on the body of Kyuubi container he was so close, perhaps he had underestimated the boy, forget the Sharingan if he could get his hands on the Rinnegan he'd be unstoppable. A true shinobi force, to think such eyes where wasted in possession of such an untalented brat.

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"Please," Tsunade sobbed as she placed her hands on Naruto's chest, her chakra flaring suddenly as she tried to heal the young boy. He had fought so bravely for her, ignoring the obvious stress that his body was feeling to protect her, he'd beaten a shinobi who despite what Naruto had said earlier was closer to jonin standard than his rank would suggest. He'd risked his life repeatedly for her. She wouldn't let him die!

"Ha," Naruto managed to say as he coughed, blood trickling down out of the corner as his lips quirked into a soft smile. Tsunade felt herself getting lost in his almost hypnotic eyes, she ideally reminded herself to talk to Jiraiya bout this latest development before she felt a hand brush against her breast. Looking down she saw Naruto's blood soaked hand clutching at her necklace, "I guess Ero-Sennin was right," He coughed violently again "You really are a terrible better."

With that Naruto gave the necklace a yank the chain that held it around her neck gave way and fell onto his chest.

"You're going to make a wonderful Hokage, Naruto." Tsunade said quietly as Naruto closed his eyes, slipping once again into unconsciousness.

"Touching how a boy you didn't even know would nearly kill himself in to protect you," the unmistakeable voice of Orochimaru hissed, "touching but pathetic."

"I don't know what you want Orochimaru," Tsunade growled, standing for the first time since attempting to attack Kabuto, "but I wont heal your arms. You're wasting your time here."

"Oh I'm not after my arms being healed anymore Tsunade-Hime," Orochimaru informed her with a twisted smile, "There is one other way to get my arms healed, and no I'm here for something much more important."

Tsunade stood her ground protectively over Naruto. "Oh really, and what would that be?"

"His eyes!" Orochimaru hissed, his own amber eyes becoming merciless as he lunged at her, his mouth open in the most unnatural way, a snake appearing where his tongue should be hissing and twisting violently before opening its jaw and shooting a sword out of its mouth. He was aiming to kill her. Without her there he would have free reign on Naruto…she'd protect him like he had protected her. She'd die for him.

Orochimaru gained closer and closer. And with every step he took she braced herself for what she knew would likely kill her, Orochimaru didn't aim to injure he aimed to kill. This was no different.

"RASENGAN!"

Out of the ground barely a metre in front of her Jiraiya shot out the Rasengan fully formed and buried into the stomach of Orochimaru whose eyes where wide as both he and Jiraiya flew into the air. It appeared in his greed Orochimaru had become distracted and not paid enough attention to Jiriaya's whereabouts.

Jiraiya landed first and upon landing fell back beside her, flashing a grin at her as he had done so many times in the past. It was comforting in an odd sort of way, she'd spent most of her childhood trying to beat that stupid grin off of Jiraiya's face but now it was comforting to see such a familiar face…which was trying to kill her or Naruto.

Seconds after Jiraiya had landed Orochimaru followed landing feet away from them, his clothes ripped and exposing the torn flesh of his stomach which was bleeding heavily as a result of the Rasengan. The wound didn't seem to bother Orochimaru who continued to stare at both of them.

"Even I cannot beat you both," Orochimaru admitted begrudgingly "I am not stupid enough to try to, till we meet again old friends."

The ground seemed to swallow Orochimaru whose figure seemed to slowly sink deeper and deeper into the ground until nothing remained and it was like Orochimaru had never been there, a soft bang caught the remaining sennin's attention smoke had appeared where the body of Kabuto had laid since Naruto had managed to take him out of the equation.

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya said trying to get her attention.

"Not now Jiraiya," the women snapped "We have to get Naruto to a place he can rest. He's exhausted and I didn't finish treating him earlier. Shizune needs treatment as well."

"Ok," Jiraiya nodded in agreement, "back to the village you where staying in? It's the closest and the kid should be fine within a few hours."

"It'll have to do," Tsunade agreed "You get the Gaki, I'll heal Shizune."

Jiraiya nodded and moved towards the unconscious form of Naruto, turning his head over his shoulder saying, "Tsunade we have much to discuss when we get the chance…it's more important than you could imagine."


	2. Chapter 2 Like old times

**A/N New chapter. I remind you this is completely Au. I hope you like it. Feel free to review weather about likes or dislikes. Cheers Nova12. **

Disclaimer : I dont own Naruto it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. All characters that appear in this fanfic where of his design. Only thing that belongs to me is the plot.

**Chapter two – like old times **

His injuries where all healed. There had been nothing serious about the young boys' injuries, all that had remained of the injuries where a few additional scars to the boys already impressive collection. Of course that didn't mean that his injuries hadn't worried Tsunade half to death.

When facing somebody of Orochimaru's calibre and somebody with the anatomy knowledge that Kabuto had demonstrated, injuries were not always visible. Tsunade had checked him over numerous times _just_ to make sure that she hadn't missed anything. The only explanation to why he was still sleeping was that he was exhausted; perhaps those two Rasengans had taken more out of the boy than either she or Jiraiya had anticipated.

Thankfully Shizunes injury had been one that she had been able to heal quickly and her long time travelling companion and friend had only been to happy to help her check over Naruto, another pair of eyes had never hurt anybody. Tsunade had to admit she was impressed with her apprentice, she'd never really seen Shizune in a combat situation and before last night had never really given it much thought. Their travels had never resulted in any need for either herself or Shizune to demonstrate their skills, more often than not people just assumed they where just civilians travelling through.

Perhaps when she officially assumed the role of Hokage she could implement more emphasise on medical Jutsu, if anything had been proved from last night it was how useful medical was. For both offensive jutsu and looking after your team mates, perhaps now she could implement the 'one medical specialist per team' idea that she had had all of those years ago.

Maybe becoming Hokage did have its advantages.

A soft knock at the door broke her away from the various ideas she had swimming around her head. There was only one person who that could be what with Shizune currently in town stocking up on her supplies. Without waiting for her to answer the door slowly creaked open, Tsunade saw the familiar white hair before she saw his face.

Jiraiya looked the same as he always did. His long white hair tied loosely behind his head and falling down his back, the familiar dark green jumpsuit with the sleeveless red jacket draped over. She found herself a little envious that Jiraiya had aged so well, not that she would ever tell Jiraiya that, whilst she was forced to hide behind her jutsu.

"Is everything ok?" He asked her looking at her with a worried expression.

"Everything's fine," Tsunade replied calmly "he's just exhausted; those Rasengans must have really taken it out of him, don't you think he's a little young for a technique of that…rank?"

"I didn't think he could do it," Jiraiya replied as he took a seat on the windowsill, "I only told him about it to stop him bugging me. The kid is really persistent."

"Now you know how me and my grandfather felt," Tsunade informed her long time friend and long time pain in the ass.

"Hey!" Jiraiya exclaimed a look of outrage across his face, "I was never as bad as the Gaki. He could work in the interrogation division; his level of irritation would have people spilling their guts faster than a Genin after to much sake."

"You don't think that," Tsunade told Jiraiya with a raised eyebrow almost challenging him to disagree with her, "I saw the way you where when he wanted to fight Kabuto…"

"Well I can't deny the kid has certain charms," Jiraiya acknowledged "and what type of godfather would I be if I let him run off into battle against people who'd kill him in a heartbeat."

"Do I need to point he did that anyway?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey I was occupied! I'm only one man you know!" Jiraiya told her before winking lecherously at her and putting on what she could only assume he thought was a charming smile, wiggling his eyebrows perversely and saying, "And what a man!"

"You're an idiot;" Tsunade snorted "do these lines ever actually work?"

"Yup," Jiraiya replied smugly "like a charm."

"Then I am losing faith in my gender." Tsunade replied sadly before looking back up at Jiraiya and asking, "Why are you here? I've known you too long to think you've just come by to tell me about your way with women."

"I'm just checking my Godson is doing ok," Jiraiya replied trying to and failing to look convincing.

"Bull," Tsunade growled "there's something you want to tell me and I know there is. So just tell me!"

"It's…complicated." Jiraiya sighed and seeing her looking expectantly at him he relented and continued, "Do you remember the war?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "of course I remember the war. Which one specifically? We seem to have spent most of our younger years in one war or another?"

"The second great shinobi wars." Jiraiya replied deadpanned.

How could she forget that war? That war that had cost her so much, the lives of her lover Dan, her brother Nawaki along with countless friends and all that was achieved was the buffer land, know known as the river country, between Konoha and Suna being created. It seemed like such a small price to pay for hundreds of lives. Team Senju had been, in many people opinions not just her own, the turning point of the war. There stalemate with Sanshōuo no Hanzō had caused Amegakure no Sato to pull out of their treaty with Sunagakure no Sato leaving the sand considerably weaker and no match for Konoha forces.

Of course weather or not Hanzo decided to step away from the war as a mark of respect to them and their abilities or because the three sennin had effectively crushed his village to dust in their pursuit of him, Tsunade didn't know. Though she personally suspected the latter.

"What about them?"

"Do you remember after our battle with Hanzo," Jiraiya asked "As we made our way back towards Konoha we stumbled across those three little orphans?"

"Yeah," Tsunade nodded remembering the three he was talking about, "Yeah I remember them. You stayed behind with them if I recall?"

She knew that she was right. She may be getting on in years but she wasn't quite that _old _yet, her memory was as sharp as it had always been. She had just spent to many years in the company of Jiraiya to know that if he didn't want to speak about something it was incredibly difficult to get him to do so, she had long since discovered it was best to gently guide the old fool along so he revealed what he wanted in little chunks. Sure it was like getting blood out of a stone but it was the only way to get personal information from Jiraiya…and when it was obviously important it was vital she knew it.

"I did," Jiraiya replied with a nod, "nearly three years in a make shift hut in the ruins of Amegakure."

"I don't understand?" Tsunade asked. Why was he telling her this now? It had been nearly thirty years since they had stumbled across those three little orphans what significance could they possibly hold now?

"I looked after them, trained them until they where good level shinobi for nearly three years after you left." Jiraiya informed her, looking out the window lost in thought, it was rare to see another side to Jiraiya other than his loud and brash personality. It was rather unnerving if truth be told.

"I never did get why you stayed behind so long," Tsunade told him, "they where just orphans. Their where hundreds of orphans and we'd seen a good portion of them…why did those kids make you stay behind?"

"Do you remember the kid who came asking for food?" Tsunade nodded remembering the solemn face of the young boy, his spiky hair caked in mud and dirt looking like he'd just stepped out of the rubble and Jiraiya continued "his name was Yahiko, brave little kid he was. Always looking out for the other two, he was the leader. He begged me to teach him jutsu so he could protect his friends. I'd been reluctant, you know me I was never much of a teacher."

Tsunade knew that wasn't strictly too. Nobody who had trained the Yondaime Hokage could claim to be a bad teacher, the things the Yondaime had done where truly spectacular and many of it was due to Jiraiya and his teachings.

"Well I didn't really have much choice in the end," Jiraiya told her, "I woke up one day to Konan, and you must remember the little blue haired girl, screaming hysterically. I thought we where under attack, that the war had restarted and Amergakure was under invasion."

"It wasn't though, was it?" Tsunade asked, knowing full well it wasn't. Amergakure hadn't been involved in another full scale war until the third great shinobi war.

"No," Jiraiya told her "it was Yahiko, he'd been attacked by a shinobi from Iwagakure no Sato. When I arrived I found little Nagato sat beside the body and unconscious Yahiko…he'd killed a chunnin with no training at all."

"Nagato?" Tsunade repeated, getting images of a small timid little boy with a mope of bright orange hair that completely covered his eyes.

"He had those eyes, Tsunade." Jiraiya told her, a hint of confusion in his voice, "He possessed the Rinnegan."

"_What_?" Tsunade gasped, how was this possible? That little boy in the ruins of Amergakure had the legendry technique that had belonged to the sage of sixth paths the man responsible for creating ninjutsu. No wonder Jiraiya stayed with them so long.

"Do you know what the Rinnegan looks like, Tsunade-Hime?" Jiraiya asked curiously.

She didn't. She had heard stories of the legendry eye techniques but she had just assumed it was a myth. She knew of many Kekkei Genkai that could be found in their world, hell two of which resided in her own home village. But in all her travels too many villages of the shinobi world, many of which some shinobi had never even heard of, she had never seen or even heard rumours of anybody possessing the Rinnegan.

"No," Tsunade admitted "no I don't."

"You do," Jiraiya informed her, for the first time in ten minutes taking his eyes away from the window and focused on her, "you saw it last night."

With that Jiraiya cast a look at the unconscious form of Naruto, Tsunade followed his line of sight and quickly snapped her vision back up to Jiraiya. He couldn't be saying what she thought he was…could he? The changes in Naruto's eyes, that cold metallic silver with those odd concentric rings...was that the Rinnegan?

"Impossible…" Tsunade breathed looking at Jiraiya like he had gone mad for even suggesting such a thing.

"It's true. You don't forget the sight of the Rinnegan once you lay eyes on it." Jiraiya told her.

"But…but how?" Tsunade questioned still struggling to believe that the change in Naruto's eyes was that of the Rinnegan. "Perhaps it's not the Rinnegan? Maybe it's just a product of the Kyubi? We've seen him with the whisker marks maybe this is just another trait?"

"No," Jiraiya denied with a shake of his head, "It's the Rinnegan. It's almost identical to Nagato's; it can't be a product of the Kyubi."

"Almost," Tsunade asked with a frown "What do you mean almost?"

"Nagato's was…it was a dull purple, almost grey." Jiraiya told Tsunade "But the pattern, those circles from his pupil. It's unmistakeable."

"But how," Tsunade asked still sceptical about this whole situation, "Konoha never had the Rinnegan Kekkei Genkai, we'd have known if we had. There where and still are entire clans for the Sharingan and Byakugan but not so much as a whisper about the Rinnegan; hell I don't think many people in Konoha even know of the third eye technique."

"I don't know," Jiraiya admitted "I have theories. Thoughts that have swam around my head since last night, but nothing concrete. I doubt we'll ever know for sure how this has happened."

"Let's hear them then," Tsunade demanded.

"Does it matter Tsunade?" Jiraiya sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. Seeing the women glaring at him he continued with a huff, "When Nagato first awakened his Rinnegan he had no idea what it was…he had no idea. I had to explain it, with my limit knowledge of such a Kekkei Genkai, to him."

"Your point?" Tsunade asked, getting slightly annoyed at how little information Jiraiya was actually revealing.

"That unlike the other eye techniques Nagato wasn't taught about it, didn't expect it and didn't know anything about it." Jiraiya snapped. "Does that sound like a clan to you?"

"No," Tsunade admitted, slightly taken back about how agitated Jiraiya was becoming, "most clans teach about their Kekkei Genkai even before they have awoken their bloodlines."

"Exactly!" Jiraiya replied enthusiastically, "It was odd back then that Nagato didn't know of his bloodline and now…well… maybe it makes sense. Nagato said his parents had been killed by foreign shinobi, but even so you don't get to thirteen and not know of your bloodline…unless Nagato's family themselves didn't know!"

"Is that even possible?" Tsunade asked immediately.

"Think about it; is there a massive clan for the Rinnegan like there is for the Sharingan and the Byakugan? No, you never hear anything about those eyes, which means it's incredibly rare. Not the type of technique that awakens in every clan member."

"How do you know that? Didn't you say Nagato's family was wiped out in the war?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Jiraiya corrected, "I said his parents where killed…"

"But surely if the boy had had family he wouldn't have been sleeping rough and begging for food," Tsunade pointed out, "if he had family wouldn't we have heard about more Rinnegans?"

"That's just it Tsunade," Jiraiya said "have you ever heard of somebody possessing the Rinnegan? I hadn't before teaching Nagato and haven't since."

"So what are you saying? That Naruto and Nagato are related?" Tsunade asked, her eyebrows rising at the implication.

"They must be," Jiraiya nodded in conclusion "the Rinnegan is a bloodline. It flows through families' not just random shinobi."

"But like you said the Rinnegan isn't exactly common…how did it get from Amergakure where there may or may not have been a clan to Konoha." Tsunade asked Jiraiya, getting increasingly frustrated with the fact that every time they came close to an answer it opened yet another door.

"Any number of ways," Jiraiya exclaimed, "you remember the amount of refugee's that flooded to Konoha during and after the war. It's possible that one of those refugees possessed the dormant bloodline, perhaps without ever realising."

"But that means either Minato or Kushina…" Tsunade told Jiraiya who nodded slowly, "how could the Rinnegan not be activated by either one of them? Both of them where exceptional shinobi's?"

"I have an idea about that too…" Jiraiya revealed, "The Sharingan is awakened when it is most needed, the Byakugan is the rare example of being active from birth…in both cases that I saw the Rinnegan active it was in times of immense distress, perhaps whichever refugee arrived with it simply hadn't suffered that type of distress for it to activate."

Tsunade opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by a sudden groan from the bed that sat just a few metres away from where both she and Jiraiya where stood. Naruto's eyes flickered for several moments before slowly opening then blinking at the sudden intrusion of the light; his eyes still that odd metallic silver that seemed so out of place. Tsunade found herself missing those bright blue eyes that had defiantly told her he'd master the Rasengan.

Tsunade watched as his eyes flicked to various parts of the room, a frown appeared on his forehead in apparent confusion, and the soft ripple of the sheets that covered him from the shoulders down indicated that he was stretching his body, the wince on his face told her that she was right…his body was hurting today.

His eyes settling on both herself and Jiraiya, a momentary look of confusion filtered across his face and he cocked to the side and blinked like an owl. Tsunade managed to sneak a glance at Jiraiya, who had not taken his eyes of the boy.

"What's the matter Naruto?" Jiraiya asked this time meeting her eyes in a quick glance of concern.

"Whats wrong with my eyes?" Naruto asked looking worried "I…is that your Chakra?"

There was a pause. Neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade said anything, on her part it was mainly because she didn't know what to say. She was so out of her depth.

"Whats going on?" Naruto sounded utterly confused "I never used to be able to see chakra? Is it the…." Tsunade saw him glance at her suddenly and Jiraiya giving him a nod. It was odd to see Jiraiya acting almost…fatherly and giving somebody permission to speak. "Kyubi?"

Tsunade couldn't help but notice him almost wince as he mentioned the demon fox, he'd said the name of the demon in a low quiet voice, understandably, due to the fact that Sarutobi had made it illegal to mention the Kyubi no Yoko being sealed within Naruto…at least that was what she'd been told.

"No Naruto, it isn't the Kyubi." Jiraiya answered quietly as he moved away from the windowsill that he had been perched for the last hour or so and down onto the side of the bed that Naruto was staying in.

"Then what is it!" Naruto asked sitting up against the battered headboard exposing his torso and the tip of his seal showing.

Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade, who could offer him nothing more than a shrug. Jiraiya looked down at Naruto's curious eyes and opened his mouth several times before closing it again, apparently struggling to find a way to start. Narutos ringed eyes looked at the sennin expectantly.

"You know of _dōjutsu, _right kid_?" _ Jiraiya asked.

"Yup!" Naruto proclaimed proudly "Like the Sharingan and Byakugan right?"

"Exactly," Jiraiya nodded in agreement, "now what many shinobi don't realise is that there is a third _dōjutsu_. It's incredibly rare and said to be very powerful…it's said that the creator of ninjutsu possessed it. Its called the Rinnegan."

"It can't be that awesome," Naruto replied defiantly, crossing his arms across his chest and looking at Jiraiya, "otherwise Iruka-sensei would have mentioned it at the academy."

"Perhaps that's because for many shinobi the Rinnegan is nothing but a myth," Jiraiya told Naruto, "some believe that it died out along time ago…others believe it just never existed, a fabrication of Ninja folk law."

"But it's not, right?" Naruto guessed.

"No, it's very real." Jiraiya answered "And it awakened in you during your fight with Kabuto."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya for a few moments; Tsunade could see his eyes boring into the man. Like he didn't quite believe what Jiraiya had told him, not that she could really blame him. Jiraiya had just told him how rare this _dōjutsu _was only to reveal moments later that he now possessed it. If she where in Naruto's shoes she didn't think she'd believe Jiraiya either.

"Prove it!" Naruto challenged. Tsunade couldn't help but smile, his only experience with dōjutsu was with the Sharingan and Byakugan both of which could be activated and deactivated, Naruto no doubt expected to gaze upon his own familiar blue eyes as Jiraiya handed him a small mirror, normally used by civilian women to apply their make up, and watched as Naruto examined his eyes closely. It seemed that the Rinnegan was different from the other dojutsu, instead of being activated whenever the user needed it seemed to be active permanently.

He blinked noticeably a few times like he thought the ripple like effects where just an effect of him sleeping so long, he followed this up by rubbing one eye rather vigorously and when he saw that his eyes still hadn't changed he peered closer to the mirror, getting a good look at them before letting the small mirror drop onto the bed and peering back at Jiraiya.

"I don't understand?" Naruto asked looking completely confused.

Jiraiya gave him a sad, apologetic smile before saying, "I'm sorry Naruto but we're not completely sure what happened ourselves."

"I don't understand," Naruto repeated, his face scrunched up in confusion whilst glaring a spot between where his feet rested, "doujustu are bloodlines…that'd mean my parents would have had it," his voice was rapidly brightening with hope and Tsunade could see where this conversation was heading and felt bad at the disappointment that she knew he would feel when he found nobody in Konoha to have or to ever have had the Rinnegan. "I could check the archives! There names must be there if the Rinnegans as powerful as you say Ero-sennin, all the Sharingan users are there!"

The familiarity that Naruto spoke of the archives with made Tsunade wince a little bit, it didn't take much to realise why a little orphan boy would go looking through the Konoha archives.

"I'm sorry Naruto," Jiraiya told the boy softly, "but there has never been a Rinnegan user in Konoha. The only dojutsu that Konoha possess are the Sharingan and Byakugan."

Naruto visibly deflated, his head dropping in disappointment. It was hard to watch and whilst Tsunade had never and would never know the feeling of growing up an orphan and could only imagine what it was like for Naruto to build the hope of being able to track down his parents with this new Kekkei Genkai. This only added to the sudden pang of guilt that appeared in the pit of her stomach, she could tell him who his parents where…but she had promised she wouldn't. Not until he was ready to handle such information and she had to begrudgingly admit he wasn't anywhere ready to handle the information he was the Yondaimes son.

"Well maybe your wrong," Naruto huffed turning away from Jiraiya "I'm gonna check the archives anyway, you probably missed them because you where busy perving on some poor women! And anyway there has to be someone else with the Rinnegan or else I wouldn't have it!"

Naruto was so busy sulking that he completely missed the side wards glance that Tsunade received from Jiraiya. One thought running through both of the sennin's mind. Nagato.


	3. Chapter 3 Gateway to your soul

**A/N ****:- Yup Another chapter. I'd like to point out that this chapter a day won't last. I'm currently on holiday and have unbelievable amounts of time on my hand. Once i go back to college it'll be limited to a more steady pace. Hope you enjoy it. Thank you for the reviews. Nova12 **

**Chapter 3 – Gateway to your soul **

Not a word had been said for nearly five full minutes. And that was just fine with him, Naruto didn't know if they where thinking over what he had said or simply ignoring it, but it didn't really matter. He was checking the archives no matter what Ero-sennin said, he didn't care if it took him all week he'd scrounge through every scrap of paper that oversized library had to try and find out about his family.

It didn't matter to Naruto if Ero-sennin said there wasn't anybody in Konoha with this Rinnegan he was determined to look. There must have been someone at Konoha with this Rinnegan over wise how would he have got it? Naruto may not have _always _been the best student back during his days in the academy but he did listen occasionally and he had been paying attention to when Iruka-sensei had taught them about Kekkei Genkai.

He knew that they where normally passed down through the various clans of the shinobi villages. That there was no way they could be copied by or taught to other shinobi, so that meant one of or both of his parents had possessed this dojutsu and if it was as rare as Ero-sennin had made out then somebody must have seen it! And if it was as rare as the pervert had said then surely that somebody would have made a record of it? At least now he had something specific to search for, unlike before which had been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Hey Tsunade," Jiraiya asked after the few minutes of silence, "why don't you go and pack your stuff up and wait for Shizune? I think we'll be ok to leave soon."

Tsunade looked like she wanted to do anything but pack up her stuff but in the end she nodded and with a pleasant smile to Naruto left the room, leaving just Naruto and Jiraiya in the room. Jiraiya was still sitting on the edge of Naruto's bed still facing the window despite the fact Tsunade had left, paying no attention at all to the sour expression on the face of the boy behind him.

"You know," Naruto said thoughtfully causing Jiraiya to look at the by over his shoulder, "when I learn how to use these eyes I'm gonna be the strongest shinobi that Konoha has ever seen!" A twinkle had emerged in Jiraiya's eye as he listened to Naruto's exclamation; it was so familiar to him. Like a severe stroke of deja vu.

"You should know," Jiraiya told Naruto, "just because you have those fancy eyes now doesn't automatically make you a great ninja."

Naruto looked sceptically at him. All of the shinobi that he knew who had Kekkei Genkai had been hailed as prodigies. Uchiha Sasuke had been top of his academy class and everybody had expected him to make chunnin easily, Hyuga Neji had been the prodigy of the previous year's graduation class and was mastering his families' jutsu much to the surprise of the main branch Hyuga family elders. Hell even little Hyuga Hinata had proven herself to be a strong shinobi when pitted against her cousin.

Then there was Kakashi-sensei. Sure he hadn't been born with the Sharingan but he was revered now for being a powerful shinobi because of it. Naruto had heard the respect in the tone of Zabuza when he saw Kakashi, the copy-cat Nin he'd been called legendry…He'd become legendry because of his use of the Sharingan.

"It's true," Jiraiya told Naruto, obviously seeing the doubt on his face, "having these Kekkei Genkai is a massive advantage, there is no doubt, but it doesn't necessarily make a good shinobi."

"But," Naruto argued, "what about Sasuke and Neji?"

"Both gifted Shinobi but it's not due to their eyes," Jiraiya told Naruto, "did Sasuke have his Sharingan in the academy?"

"Well no," Naruto admitted, "he didn't awaken it till later."

"And he was still top of your class without right?" Jiraiya asked with a look that told Naruto he already knew the answer to that question.

"Yeah," Naruto grumbled.

"And last time I checked the academy doesn't teach the Hyuga family jutsu so Neji obviously works hard at them to master them." Jiraiya told Naruto, his bushy white eye brows raised as if he had just pointed the obvious.

"What I'm trying to say Naruto," Jiraiya said before Naruto had chance to reply, "is that your eyes alone won't make you powerful. You have to train hard, learn new jutsu and master those eyes of yours…Hard work is the key to becoming a great ninja."

Naruto didn't say anything back to Jiraiya. Maybe he was right? He'd seen the way Rock Lee had taken it to Sasuke and he can't even use Ninjutsu, he'd also been a match for Gaara managing to actually hit the Suna shinobi. And he'd heard rumours of Kakashi being considered a prodigy before he had even gotten the Sharingan and then there was Shikamaru and everyone had seen how smart he was during the chunnin exams.

"Well then," Naruto said as he faced Jiraiya, a big grin present on his face, "I'm gonna master so many techniques I'll make the Yondaime look like a genin!"

By this time Naruto had stood on the bed and was all but shouting, looking like he wanted nothing more than to drag Jiraiya outside and start training on those jutsu right that second.

"That's a bold claim to make," Jiraiya told Naruto, standing from his position which was no longer as comfortable with Naruto bouncing around the bed proclaiming his soon to be greatness, "the fourth was one of a kind. Konoha had never seen a Ninja like the Yondaime."

"Psshhh," Naruto snorted in disbelief, "there's never been a ninja like Uzumaki Naruto before either!"

"There's a reason for that," Jiraiya mumbled under his breath. But was ignored by Naruto who just continued to babble about how awesome he was going to be, the most awesome shinobi in the history of Konoha.

"And when I've mastered those jutsu, I'm gonna create my own awesome techniques that'll take Konoha by storm!" Naruto continued now bouncing excitedly up and down in nothing but a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"Settle down Naruto," Jiraiya requested and was pleased to see that Naruto did indeed stop bouncing around on the bed, anybody would think the boy hadn't been injured. "You're along way from doing any of that."

"Then teach me!" Naruto exclaimed looking excited at the prospect of being taught by a sennin again.

"I can't," Jiraiya told the boy a hint of regret in his voice, "I don't know much about the Rinnegan; I don't even know what power it holds. Anything I teach you will be basic ninjutsu. It would be no use to you in mastering your Rinnegan. That's something you'll have to find the answer to on your own."

Naruto now stood on his bed, his mouth hanging open slightly in shock. He had grown up hearing stories of Konoha's legendry sennin; the old man had often told him stories about the three ninja's advantages when he was younger and when he had finally been asked to accompany one member of the sennin to track down the other he had been so excited. He was bound to learn techniques from him, even if he wasn't exactly what he had expected, Naruto knew that Jiraiya knew hundreds of awesome techniques like the Rasengan and for him to turn around and tell him he couldn't help him was crushing.

Naruto had hoped that if he showed Jiraiya that he could master the Rasengan he'd teach him other techniques. It just didn't seem fair that just when he was getting some awesome training his Sensei turned around said he couldn't train him because of those bastard eyes…because he didn't know enough about the Rinnegan. Again it seemed that he was destined to fail, the Byakugan had a whole clan behind it able to pass on their knowledge, even the Sharingan that no longer had a clan, passed on its knowledge through scrolls. And all Naruto got was a pair of weird eyes he hadn't even known had existed, eyes that he didn't know how to use…eyes that not even a sennin knew how to use.

"Then how am I ever going to learn how to use it," Naruto asked looking at Jiraiya sadly, it was a start contrast to the boy who had just moments ago been jumping up and down on the bed in excitement and proclaiming he'd out do the great Yondaime, "if you cant even teach me?"

"I'm afraid that their isn't much documented about the Rinnegan, Naruto." Jiraiya told him, "Every thing that is known is more than likely based on myth."

"Great," Naruto grumbled sarcastically, "that's so helpful. I have this all powerful Dojutsu and don't know how to use it."

"I said there wasn't much documented about the Rinnegan," Jiraiya told Naruto, eyeing him closely, "I didn't say I knew nothing."

A grin lit up on Naruto's face, the whisker like marks on his cheeks crinkling under the force of the grin. His eyes lighting up with hope making more of the concentric rings show.

"What do you know Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed, thinking it best to be respectful in this instant to the Ero-sennin. Naruto gave one last jump on the bed landing on his ass in a sitting position, the bed creaking under the force of his landing. Jiraiya looked at Naruto with raised eyebrows making Naruto blush slightly in embarrassment and scratch the back of his whilst smiling sheepishly.

Naruto focused his entire attention on the white haired man who was now casually lent up against the wall. This conversation Naruto knew would tell him important things about this Rinnegan, even if it didn't tell him exactly how to use it, and he couldn't afford to miss a word that the Ero-sennin. If this Rinnegan was as rare as he had said then Naruto knew that there might not be that many people who could give him any information on it.

"Well," Jiraiya started, Naruto sat on the edge of the bed his head in his hand and watched Jiraiya intently hanging on his every word, "it's said that the possessor of the Rinnegan can utilise any form of chakra."

"Eh?" Naruto asked looking utterly confused.

"The various forms of elemental chakra," Jiraiya explained and seeing that Naruto was still looking confused he explained further, "most shinobi have one specific element that they have an affinity for…the Uchiha and fire jutsu for example."

Naruto nodded, finally understanding. He'd seen Sasuke use fire jutsu more than any type of jutsu during their various training sessions and missions but that seemed to be it, Naruto had never seen Sasuke use a water or earth style jutsu.

"So shinobi can have only one elemental jutsu type?" Naruto asked curiously.

"No," Jiraiya replied shaking his head, "most jonin level shinobi have acquired the knowledge of two elements."

"Like Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Kakashi…is a special case." Jiraiya answered nodding at Naruto. "Most Jonin are not capable of learning more than two element types because of the time and effort it takes to learn and perfect those jutsu. Kakashi has the advantage of only having to see a jutsu to be able to use it, allowing him to master more elemental forms than most."

"What about you?"

"Me," Jiraiya said slowly "I am proficient at a few forms of elemental jutsu but my main strength lays in other techniques."

"Oh," Naruto responded quietly, "so I can use all the elemental jutsu?"

"Effectively yes," Jiraiya answered with a nod, "you will not be limited in the jutsu you can learn. A massive advantage to you and your arsenal."

"But that'll take ages!" Naruto whined, "It's not like I'm Kakashi-sensei, I don't have the Sharingan to help me!"

"I also think that the Rinnegan helps with the mastering of Ninjutsu. Not to the degree of the Sharingan but proficient enough to make a difference." Jiraiya said slowly.

"What?" Naruto asked looking at Jiraiya intently.

"I…" Jiraiya started before trailing off, "When I was younger, before I had even started to train the Yondaime, I trained three shinobi from Amergakure. One of those shinobi awoke the Rinnegan whilst I was training them; he seemed to pick up Ninjutsu much easier and quicker than the others. This also seems evident with you learning the Rasengan in only one week…it took even me longer to learn it than that."

"You taught somebody else with the Rinnegan?" Naruto repeated dumbly.

"I did," Jiraiya replied, "it was years ago Naruto, I haven't seen nor spoken to him since."

So he had been right. Their was someone else who possessed the same eyes that he did, granted this person wasn't a Konoha Shinobi and didn't reside in Konoha but the mere fact that there was somebody else out that had his eyes comforted him. There was somebody out their, who knew how to use it, somebody who could teach him…

"Maybe he could teach me?" Naruto asked hopefully, "Baa-chan could send for him!"

"Naruto," Jiraiya replied "Amergakure is not like Konoha. Amergakure no Sato is a war torn village, it suffered greatly during the great shinobi wars and has failed to ever rebuild itself into a stable village. There has been a bitter civil war between two factions within Amergakure for years…it's simply not a place you just walk into. I don't even know if he's alive."

"There's no way he can be dead!" Naruto denied adamantly, "If this dojutsu is as powerful as you make out, and this kid was as good with Ninjutsu as you make there's no way he died!"

"Naruto the Rinnegan doesn't make you invincible," Jiraiya told Naruto sternly, "Amergakure is homed to an exceptionally powerful ninja he's like their Kage…if he went against him then he has surely died, even with the Rinnegan."

Naruto fell quite. It really did seem he was destined to never find out the secrets of his eyes, and there where bound to be secrets to it. All dojutsu that he had seen had some special trait, the Sharingan with its ability to copy jutsu and the Byakugan with its three hundred and sixty degree vision and so far the only significant things that had changed with his recent development of the Rinnegan was seeing that weird mist like glow around Tsunade and somehow managing to see through his Kage Bushin.

"Naruto," Jiraiya asked again. Naruto didn't like the tone of his voice it made him feel uncomfortable, it was the type of town somebody used when they where delivering bad news and where he was concerned bad news was normally catastrophic, "you can't go back to Konoha with those eyes…it'll attract to much unwanted attention for you and Konoha."

"What!" Yelped Naruto.

"It won't take people long to realise what they are," Jiraiya told Naruto, "and when they do word will spread through the shinobi villages like wildfire about them. Its bad enough Orochimaru knows but to have every nation aware of what a…" Jiraiya paused; it seemed to Naruto that he was trying to find the word to finish that sentence. "Weapon Konoha possessed."

"Weapon?" Naruto scoffed interrupting Jiraiya "I don't even know how to use it!"

"You think that'll matter?" Jiraiya asked somewhat mockingly, "they'll see a little boy with the most powerful Dojutsu known to shinobi, one that was thought to be a myth. And no matter what, those shinobi will listen to the myths instead of trying to find out the actually powers. We'll have every hit squad and missing Nin at Konoha's boarders within days."

"Yeah, so what!" Naruto argued "I kicked the last shinobi to attack Konoha's ass and I'll do it again!"

"These wont be a Genin who can't control his demon!" Jiraiya growled, a little anger seeping into his voice. "These will be Anbu squads capable of things that you can only dream about. Sent to eliminate you before you learn the workings of your eyes…you'll learn soon enough that the other shinobi villages already think Konoha possesses too much power, this could tip that feeling over the edge."

He made it sound so serious. He had no idea that him awakening a Kekkei Genkai would cause such a large snowballing effect on his village. Was it possible that the other villages would react the way Ero-Sennin had suggested? Naruto couldn't understand why they would take something he had no control over as such a threat? Could the myths surrounding the Rinnegan possibly be bad enough to cause the other shinobi to try and assassinate him to prevent what ever they feared from happening?

If Ero-sennin was right though, how would he stop people from seeing his eyes? They where his eyes it wasn't like hiding his seal which could easily be covered by clothes and it was evident that the Rinnegan couldn't be deactivated like the Sharingan so there was no way of hiding it.

"Their my eyes," Naruto pointed out "how do you hide your eyes?

Naruto looked at Jiraiya waiting for him reply to his question. How could he hide his eyes from the people of Konoha? T here was always sunglasses he supposed, they seemed to do a good job at hiding Shino's eyes but what happens if they broke? Or got knocked off? For somebody who utilised long range attacks like Shino did but for him who really only knew close range attacks they would more than likely get broken and reveal his eyes which didn't solve the problem.

"I took the liberty of getting something last night whilst you where unconscious," Jiraiya rummaged around in his sleeveless red overcoat, his hand delving from pocket to pocket before he withdrew a mask.

The mask itself was very similar to the style of mask that Haku had used when he pretended to be a hunter-nin. It was white, almost unnaturally white with the Konoha leaf symbol present on the forehead of the mask painted in bright red paint. On the cheeks of the mask where three whisker marks that where painted the same bright red paint as the Konoha leaf symbol, they where reminiscent of his own whisker like marks, the eyes of the mask where more like slits than actual eye how anybody could see out of such a mask was beyond him.

"What the hell is that?" Naruto exclaimed, already knowing deep down what Jiraiya was proposing and he wasn't particularly thrilled about it.

"It's a mask Naruto," Jiraiya replied deadpanned.

"I can see that Ero-sennin," Naruto growled "You can't be serious?"

"Deadly," Jiraiya answered handing the mask over to Naruto, "It was the only solution that I could find that would hide your eyes effectively."

Naruto nodded in understanding, there was definitely no way anybody in Konoha would be able to see his eyes when he was wearing this. And nobody would get him confused with ANBU because he wouldn't be wearing the uniform or have the tattoo that all ANBU officers possessed.

"But wont people question it?" Naruto asked, knowing that when he returned to Konoha people where bound to ask questions about why he was suddenly wearing a mask. God knows he'd been around Kakashi-sensei enough to know how many people hassled him because of his mask.

Jiraiya looked at Naruto before replying, "the best way to explain the new addition to your Ninja gear will be that you got injured on the trip and that you have to wear it for medical reasons."

Naruto snorted and looked at Jiraiya with a doubtful look in his eyes, "you expect that to work? Jeez."

"It'll work when Tsunade backs it up," Jiraiya informed Naruto, "nobody in their right mind questions Tsunade when it comes to medical issues."

"What happens if the mask comes off?" Naruto asked, whilst a mask was more sturdy than glasses if he received a strong kick that happened to catch him right then the mask would surely come flying off?

"It won't trust me," Jiraiya told Naruto with assurance "it's modelled on ANBU's masks."

Naruto placed the mask in his hands to the side before reaching up and untying his Hitai-ite and bringing it into his lap. He'd taken so much pride in that shiny piece of metal, been so proud that Iruka-sensei had given him his own Hitai-ite, he'd looked after it so well even when away on a mission and now, now he wouldn't be wearing it he'd be wearing this new mask. Picking the mask back up Naruto lifted up to his face and placed it on, it felt strange having a mask on though it didn't really feel like a mask, more like a second skin. The thin slit for the mouth proving to be just enough to avoid the mask getting hot with his breath and the eye holes allowed him to see perfectly.

"Perfect," Jiraiya announced "can't see so much as a pupil let alone the entire eye."

"Yeah I guess," Naruto replied a little lethargically. He still wasn't sure about this, whilst it did hide his eyes it just felt strange not having his forehead protector on.

"Don't worry," Jiraiya told Naruto, putting a hand onto his shoulder and offering him a smile, "You won't have to wear it forever, you'll soon have Iruka's old Hitai-ite back on. Now, what do you say we go see if Shizunes back? Now get dressed."

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They'd been walking for nearly ten minutes and the village that she had spent the best part of the last month staying in was rapidly disappearing behind her. She would never have guessed that after all these years she would be returning to Konoha, she'd always been sure she would never step foot back in that village and here she was preparing to lead it.

If the last few days where anything to go by Tsunade sure had her work cut out for her, she didn't know if she could put up with Kekkei Genkai randomly springing up or people from her past seeking her out. Still she had accepted the job she'd have to take what came with it. And Tsunade knew it wasn't all bad, Shizune was coming with her and then there was Jiraiya…yeah perhaps that was more of a reason to not take the job than anything.

Tsunade supposed that Naruto counter acted the negative impact Jiraiya had. That little boy was unlike anybody she knew, his sheer determination and unwillingness to back down from things where most other shinobi would have was something that she hadn't seen in a long time. It was endearing.

The way he acted was almost exactly how Nawaki had done. The hyper-ness that had driven her mad during her teenage years, the stubbornness that had caused so many arguments in the old Senju household but the same sense of pride that her little brother felt about being a shinobi of the leaf was ripe within Naruto.

"That girl has the patience of a saint," the familiar of voice of Jiraiya muttered besides her causing her to follow the toad sennin line of sight until it rested on the figure of Shizune, who was walking about ten metres in front of the old team mates along, beside her the short blonde figure of Naruto who appeared to be jabbering away to the older girl adamantly if his hand actions where anything to go by.

"Naruto does seem hyper today," Tsunade remarked as she watched him walk in front of Shizune, for the first time fully exposing the mask he was now wearing his blonde hair sticking out at odd angles from around it.

"I wasn't talking about her patience with Naruto," Jiraiya quipped with a wink at Tsunade.

"Ass," Tsunade grumbled.

"So what story are we using for Naruto's mask?" Tsunade asked curiously after a moment of silence between the two, "You can't just have him turn up and say it's a fashion statement."

"We'll say it's because of an injury," Jiraiya told her calmly, "if you say it's to be kept on, nobody will question it."

"If you say so," Tsunade shrugged, she had no problem with it. She could completely understand why Jiraiya had made Naruto hide his eyes and so would most who understood the importance of the Rinnegan and the hassle it brought with it was something she really didn't want to deal with, "what are you gonna do when we get back to Konoha?"

Tsunade knew that Jiraiya hadn't spent massive amounts of time in Konoha since his childhood. Once he had obtained the rank of jonin he'd been off, exploring the world as he put it. She personally thought it was more likely he was off searching for different women to peep on.

"I'll probably stay around for a couple of weeks," Jiraiya told her with a sigh, "take care of some issues. Then I'll have to go and check on my network, and take care of some business."

Tsunade sent a long look at Jiraiya, like she was sizing him up.

"If your thinking about trying to find Nagato…don't." Tsunade told him bluntly, "You'll not get anywhere near Amergakure; Hanzo has it on lock down."

"Perhaps," Jiraiya replied mildly giving her the impression he wasn't really listening to her.

"I'm serious Jiraiya," Tsunade snapped in a whispered tone, careful not to alert Shizune or Naruto. "That civil war has Hanzo and his army on edge. Shizune and I travelled to a village close to it a couple of months back, nearly handed us over because they thought we where trying to infiltrate it."

"I have my ways, Tsunade-Hime." Jiraiya replied vaguely. Tsunade had little doubt that he had his ways but she just didn't want him to get caught in the middle of what, by all accounts, sounded like a bloody civil war.

"Come on baa-chan!" the unmistakeable voice of Uzumaki Naruto called, making her take her eyes away from Jiraiya and focus on the mask wearing boy. "We have to hurry so you can heal Sasuke!"

**A/N 2 :- ****Forgive me for using a mask. I know it's cliched but I have reasons I swear. **


	4. Chapter 4 Home sweet home

**A/N Another chapter up. Hope you enjoy it. Thank you for the reviews and questions, I'll try to answer and respond to as many as possible. all mistakes are mine as i still dont have a beta (though that is being sorted out. I'll replace chapters with the beta'd ones if they get beta'd. **

**Chapter 4 – Home sweet home **

The large, almost never ending, circular wall that bordered Konohagakure no Sato had never been a more welcome sight for Uzumaki Naruto. He had spent what seemed like an eternity walking back from that village they had stayed in whilst searching for Tsunade, and sure Shizune was cool to talk to but there was only so much of talking to one person that he could take before he got bored.

Jiraiya had refused to teach him anymore techniques on the back saying they couldn't afford to slow down and that it was important to reach Konoha as quickly as possible, something that Naruto personally thought was a load of crap as he didn't seem to have had a problem with teaching him on the way down to get Tsunade. And Tsunade, well she was back to being grumpy so that was a definite no go area for a source of entertainment.

The damn mask he was wearing was also stifling hot which didn't make the journey anymore enjoyable. He didn't know how the ANBU officers did it; walking around all day wearing this flaming mask was like some twisted torture technique Ibiki and Anko would inflict to get information. Naruto was beginning to think that perhaps he hadn't quite it through before agreeing to wear this mask. Though he did think it made him look kind of badass.

Looking up from the wall Naruto could clearly see his favourite thing in Konoha (beside Ichiraku ramen) the Hokage monument. He had spent many nights sitting on top of the monument and watching as the citizens went about there daily lives, he had always sought comfort under the gaze of the past Hokages and aspired to someday have his own face carved along side them. His eyes didn't dwell on the monument for long as they where drawn away from the faces of the past Hokages by a bright shimmering light that sat just above the monument, it was possibly the strangest thing he'd ever seen. It was just sat there, as if it'd always been there, with what appeared to be several lines of similar light darting away from it in all directions forming some sort of pyramid over Konoha.

The light was so unexpected and so unusual that it actually brought Naruto to a stop, causing the large bulky form of Jiraiya to go walking striaght into the back of him almost sending both of them into a heap on the ground.

"Oh jeez," Jiraiya grumbled as he rubbed the spot on his chest where Naruto's head had snapped back, "a little warning if you're going to randomly stop to watch birds, kid."

"I wasn't watching birds!" Naruto growled as he shot a dirty look over his shoulder at Jiraiya, "I was watching the light!"

"The light?" Jiraiya repeated dumbly.

"Yeah," Naruto responded pointing up to where the light was, "the light."

"Are you sure Kabuto didn't kill a few brain cells in there?" Jiraiya asked tapping Naruto on the top of his head which made the boy glare at the older man, not that Jiraiya could see it. Damn mask, "there's nothing but clouds there."

Naruto frowned, he definitely wasn't imagining things there was definitely something unnatural about that light. Jiraiya walked away shaking his head and muttering about crazy genin's leaving Naruto standing there looking at the weird pyramid shaped light.

"I don't know how you know about that," the voice of Tsunade said in a hushed tone making Naruto look away from the light and to the buxom blonde figure of the next Hokage, "but I can have a pretty good guess. What you see is one of Konoha's many defence mechanisms to stop attacks upon Konoha put in by my grandfather when Konoha was founded. There are only a handful of people in Konoha who know of its existence, and as your Hokage I'm going to have to order you to keep it that way."

Naruto nodded with wide eyes. This was most certainly an interesting development there was only one reason he could now see this barrier like defence and that was the same the reason he was now sporting a mask. He wondered what the formerly invisible barrier did, perhaps if he figured out what the lines where he'd get on his way to unlocking at least some secrets about his eyes…he guessed he knew his next stop after going through the archives.

Tsunade had continued walking towards Konoha after delivering a very unsubtle threat to him about the secrecy of the weird translucent barrier, leaving Naruto having to catch up. By the time he'd caught up with Tsunade it seemed Shizune and Jiraiya where already at the point of entry to Konoha and chatting pleasantly to which ever chunnin was on guard duty today.

As Naruto and Tsunade hurried to catch up with Jiraiya and Shizune Naruto couldn't help but notice that across the ground barely a metre in front of the great wall that protected Konoha, a line of the same bright light that Naruto had seen sitting high above the Hokage Mountain created a perimeter around the wall.

So it seemed that this defence that Tsunade had mentioned was most likely some sort of barrier…though against what he couldn't figure out. It wasn't a very good barrier as it seemed to let just anybody through and if Tsunade was to be believed it had been there for years and if it was some kind of barrier to prevent people entering it, quite frankly, sucked. Naruto could remember after the chunnin exams where Suna and Oto shinobi had flooded into Konoha, if this barrier was to prevent people attacking Konoha then how did they get in after the chunnin exams?

Naruto was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he completely missed the chunnin who was stood on the gate that controlled the entrance to Konoha, and didn't actually realise he'd past the gate until he came to the small river that flowed through the outskirts of Konoha and stood on the edge of the bridge that lead into the main part of the village.

Naruto didn't care how much his fellow genin complained about how there was nothing to do for Genin in the village he loved his village, and no other village in his opinion would or could come close to Konoha. He loved the way that Konoha's streets where always filled with people, just normal people going to a bar or going shopping. He'd always thought the mixture of civilians and shinobi added something good to Konoha instead of it being all civilians or all Ninja, after all if it was civilians who'd protect them? And if it was all Shinobi it'd be nothing more than a walking army.

"It hasn't changed a bit," Tsunade marvelled as the group began to walk through the crowded streets that lead into the centre of Konoha, both Tsunade and Shizune where looking around the street with wide eyes. Naruto couldn't help but smile as Shizune got a little spring in her step as they meandered through the people; he guessed that old saying was true; home is where the heart is.

Naruto wondered if Shizune harboured the same ill feelings toward Konoha as Tsunade did. Ero-sennin had told him all about why Tsunade had left the leaf but he hadn't mentioned Shizune, sure Dan had been her uncle but what about her parents?

"Well I guess I should go and meet with the elders," Tsunade sighed as if she didn't relish the chance to meet the elders of Konoha, the elders where the only two people in the whole of the village to hold any sway over the Hokage more like advisors than anything. At least that's what Iruka-sensei had said at the academy, not that it really mattered because when he became Hokage nobody would stop him from protecting the village, "best get this whole Hokage thing rolling."

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed from beside her, how she could possibly think of getting inducted as Hokage at a time like this! The whole reason that he had even gone to get her was so she could heal Sasuke and Lee and there was no way she wasn't going to going to let her just swan off before she had chance to look at them.

"I've got to be sworn in," Tsunade grumbled clearly not looking forward to such a prospect, "I don't really have a choice. It was his ideas anyway so don't go blaming me like I actually wanted this." She finished pointing accusingly at Jiraiya, who chose to conveniently pretend to be examining a poster for a new restaurant that had opened.

"No, you have to come heal Sasuke!" Naruto argued grabbing hold of the elder women's forearm and trying to drag her in the direction of Konoha hospital. A flash of bright white light that emitted from Tsunade's lower body caught Naruto's attention and caused him to momentarily drop her arm, fearing he was about to receive a kick from the insanely strong women.

"I can't heal him just now," Tsunade growled yanking back her arm, the white light that had erupted from her legs dimming before slowly disappearing. Naruto's eyes shot quickly to Jiraiya and then to Shizune both of whom didn't appear to have seen it, which wasn't surprising perhaps the light was something you couldn't see…Chakra perhaps?

"Why not," Naruto whined "it's the only reason we came to get you!"

Tsunade's hands shifted to her hips, an action Naruto had seen Sakura use when ever she was pissed, her eyebrow raised and she looked at him with a stern expression which looked out of place on her youthful face.

"And here I was thinking it was because you thought I was the best candidate to take over as Hokage." Tsunade responded challengingly.

"PAH!" Naruto snorted, "You? The best to take over from the old man, ha even Ero-sennin would do a better job that you!"

Naruto could see Tsunade's face flush with anger and her left eye twitched; her fists where clenched at her waist and trembled a little bit, her breathing had gotten a lot heavier too. Naruto had to admit she was quick for an old lady, he hadn't seen her reach out and grab the collar of his orange jumpsuit yanking him close to her and bringing her own face down to meet his own masked one looking at him with a furious glare.

"Listen you little brat," She hissed, "I'm not your personal medic ninja; I have other important matters to attend to other than healing your little boyfriend."

"See this is why you shouldn't be Hokage," Naruto commented as he yanked himself free from her grip and straightened his clothes "Hokages are supposed to be kind like the old man not grumpy old women! But it doesn't matter, I don't need you I have Shizune-chan, you'll will help right?" He turned to the dark haired women and looked at her what he hoped was his most flattering smile.

"I…um…well…" Shizune stuttered, shooting a quick look at Tsunade.

"Please," Naruto implored grabbing her hand and looking at her, which he supposed looked quite odd considering she couldn't see his face, "your just as good as Baa-chan, and much nicer!"

"Well," Shizune replied a crimson blush on her cheeks, "I suppose it couldn't do any harm whilst Tsunade-senpai goes to talk to the elders."

"The kids a natural," Jiraiya muttered "a real flatterer."

Jiraiya winced as he received a quick slap across the back of his head from his former team mate but it didn't change his opinion.

"Excellent," Naruto cried doing an odd little jump whilst still managing to keep hold of Shizune hand, "let's go! Sakura-chan will be so happy!"

With that Naruto began to drag Shizune off down one of the man alleys that littered Konoha leaving just Jiraiya and Tsunade to stand in the middle of the street, citizens of Konoha walking around them.

"That girl needs to grow a backbone," Tsunade mumbled as Naruto and Shizune disappeared.

"Or she just succumbed to his charm," Jiraiya mumbled, "the kids got potential."

"Looking to corrupt another poor innocent soul," Tsunade asked as she wandered off in the direction that she knew Hokage mansion to be. Jiraiya hurried to catch her up and when level with her shot her a grin that she had seen many times.

"You call it corruption," Jiraiya informed her, "I call it imparting wisdom."

Tsunade rolled her eyes and continued in the direction of the Hokage mansion hoping that Jiraiya would find somewhere else to be a nuisance.

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"Shizune-chan," Naruto asked with a hint of concern in his voice as the two walked into the hospital reception. The cool air conditioned air hitting both of them as they stepped through the automatic doors, "are you ok?"

The kunoichi was breathing heavily as was flushed with sweat. She looked slightly dishevelled, her short black hair slightly wind swept and her kimono not as neatly presented as it had previously been.

"Yeah," She panted "I'm just fine…just next time take it a little slower ok?"

Ah so she was tired. Strange Naruto hadn't thought that he had been going that quickly, he always travelled around Konoha at that type of speed and it was important that they got to Sasuke quickly.

"Sure!" Naruto grinned and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, his mask covering his sheepish look.

"Good afternoon," the receptionist greeted as the two of them came to a stop at the large desk which the receptionist sat behind, "what may I do for you?"

"We're here to heal Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto exclaimed.

"And who would you be?" the receptionist asked looking at him curiously, no doubt due to not being able to see his face. Her eyes briefly flicked up to Shizune.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto informed her "and she's Shizune! She trained with the Godaime Hokage! Tsunade sent her to heal him!"

"Naruto," Shizune said looking a little embarrassed, "I might not be able to heal him."

"Of course you will be able to!" Naruto exclaimed "you're awesome. You helped fix me up your bound to be able to help Sasuke!"

"Well…." Shizune trailed off looking uncomfortable with the amount of praise being heaped on her.

"Ah yes," the receptionist interrupted the discussion between the Genin and medic Nin, "Shizune….well your documented on Konoha's database. Uchiha Sasuke is on the fourth floor room eleven."

"Thank you." Shizune told the receptionist with a pleasant smile before setting off for the stairs quickly followed by Naruto. She looked at Naruto and said "Remind me to get Tsunade to check the hospital security measures…I could have been a missing nin using a henge for all that women knew."

"Sure thing Shizune-chan," Naruto exclaimed not really paying attention to her, just concentrating on getting her to heal Sasuke as he bounded up the stairs two at a time.

It didn't take Naruto long to get to the floor even if there was what felt like a million stairs to the fourth floor however, it did take Shizune a little longer to reach the floor much to his irritation. Why was everyone so slow? At the first sight of Shizune he had bounded off down the corridor glancing at the doors to try and find the eleventh room, though in the end he needn't have worried about looking at the numbers because it was painfully obvious which room belonged to Sasuke.

The familiar sight of pink hair told him that that was the room which held the injured Uchiha. She had no doubt been a permanent fixture in the room since Sasuke was brought here by Maito Gai, she didn't look very happy from what Naruto could see of her, her shoulders where slumped and he was sure he could see the tracks of shed tears shining under the light of the room.

"Sakura…" Naruto said gaining her attention. For a minute a look of confusion crossed her eyes like she couldn't tell who it was before her eyes settled on his bright orange jumpsuit.

"Naruto? Is that you? Why are you wearing a mask? It's illegal to imitate ANBU. " She didn't stand, or make to get out of her chair beside Sasukes bed she just sparred him the barest of glances before turning her eyes back upon Sasuke.

"Yeah," Naruto told her with a wave, though Sakura didn't notice the wave her face still watching over Sasukes prone form, "and I'm not impersonating an ANBU officer Sakura-chan, I have to wear it it's are Baa-chans orders!"

"Baa-chan?" Sakura asked dully with a tone that suggested to Naruto she didn't really care. "Why is she making you wear a mask?"

"Tsunade-Hime! And I got injured on the mission; she said I had to wear this until she said so." Naruto exclaimed convincingly, the dull footsteps echoing through the corridor indicating that Shizune had finally caught up. The name of the Godaime seemed to trigger a response from the girl, who twisted to look at Naruto with a hopeful expression on her face.

"You managed to get Tsunade here?" Sakura asked, seemingly unconcerned that Naruto was 'injured' now that the famous medic- nin Senju Tsunade had arrived back in Konoha.

"Yup," she couldn't see but Naruto had a large grin on his face. He liked it when Sakura was pleased with him, it made such a pleasant difference from the angry Sakura who seemed to plague him, "though she had to go to speak with the elders about becoming Hokage…I brought Shizune though!"

"Shizune?" Sakura asked looking confused.

"She's Tsunade assistant." Naruto explained, moving out the way to allow Shizune entrance to the room. Naruto watched as Shizune walked up to the side of Sasuke, passing Sakura and placing a comforting hand on the younger girls shoulder before placing her own hand on Sasuke's forehead. Naruto watched, as like before with Tsunade, white light pulsed from Shizunes hand, yes it definitely seemed that light was chakra.

Not long after Shizune had placed her hand on Sasuke forehead did the boy start show signs of life. Sasuke groaned as Shizune withdrew her hand, turning and smiling at Sakura who seemed to understand because she launched at Shizune capturing the elder women in a hug.

Naruto's eyes however where drawn to Sasuke who sat up looking dazed, his hair was stuck up at all angles and his face paler than it normally was. Sakura who upon seeing that Sasuke was awake released Shizune and attached herself to Sasuke, tears of what Naruto can only assume was happiness already leaking from her eyes. Sasuke to his credit didn't push her away like Naruto thought he might, he just sat there letting Sakura hug him.

Naruto felt that horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach of jealousy. Nobody had ever hugged him like that; nobody had ever waited by his bed like Sakura had done for Sasuke, if the situation had been reversed and he had been in Sasuke situation would anybody have helped Ero-sennin gets Tsunade to heal him?

Seeing that both Sakura and Sasuke where occupied Naruto slowly started to make his way the door, perhaps Ichiraku's would open and he could grab a few bowls of ramen, nothing like a nice hot bowl of Ramen to ease your mind. Maybe Ichiraku even had some new ramen out, yeah that'd definitely hit the spot about now.

"Naruto," Naruto immediately stopped by the door. He didn't think that Sasuke had even noticed him, he seemed pretty dazed but apparently he had and from the tone of his voice he didn't seem particularly happy, then again Sasuke never really seemed happy he was really miserable. Naruto turned his head slightly, looking over his shoulder so that he could see Sasuke through the slits in his mask.

Sasuke was sat there on the bed wearing what looked like a standard hospital pyjamas his arms hung limply by his sides, his head resting on Sakura's shoulder though it didn't look like he had much of a choice in the matter, his eyes where not the Sharingan red Naruto had grown used to seeing but the dark brown that they used to be during the Academy.

"I challenge you," Sasuke demanded in the unemotional voice that Naruto had grown accustomed to, "When I'm discharged I challenge you one on one."

Naruto knew what he wanted, and he'd be lying if deep down he didn't want to test himself against Sasuke. The prodigy of the class against the dead last, Naruto knew he was better now but then again so was Sasuke, perhaps if Gaara hadn't lost control of the Ichibi no Shukaku then maybe he would of gotten the chance to fight Sasuke in the final?

Naruto smiled beneath his mask; out of the corner of his eye he could see Shizune watching the ongoing scene with interest. It must looked strange to the short haired women, on the bed you have the last Uchiha being hugged to death by a girl who the Uchiha seemed to have completely forgotten was even there, his focus being entirely on the masked genin who stood near the door.

"Name a time and a place and I'll be there." Naruto replied with a nod before disappearing out of the door. The thought of his impending fight with Sasuke being pushed to the back of his mind, he had a much more important thought to think about. How was he going to eat ramen without taking his mask off? Maybe he'll have to speak with Kakashi-sensei about that particular technique.

**A/N 2 - Sorry it's kinda of boring. It's one of those chapters where nothing really happens but it's vital to set things up. Bare with me. Nova12. **


	5. Chapter 5 Unstable Uchiha

**A/N :- ****Another chapter out. This is where the story really begins to branch out from cannon so for the reviewers who where concerned about how closely it has stuck to the manga so far things will begin to change. I want to thank my two beta's Enigma of Bishieness and fearlessmind. They did an unbelievable job. Hope you enjoy it! thanks for reading- Nova12**

**Chapter 5 – Unstable Uchiha **

The archives of Konohagakure no Sato would have put the majority of libraries in the other hidden villages to utter shame, the sheer amount of documents that this single room possessed was unbelievable. There were shelves upon shelves filled with files on everything imaginable. Well, almost everything imaginable, as Uzumaki Naruto was finding out.

Naruto had been back in Konoha the best part of two days and had only visited three places since his return: his apartment, Ichiraku's ramen stand, and the Konoha archives, but no how much he searched he couldn't find anything about anybody that was living or had lived in Konoha who possessed the Rinnegan. In fact, he could only find one documented person who had possessed the Rinnegan and that was the _Rikudō Sennin, _the creator of ninjutsu. And even with this mention the details about the Rinnegan was vague, giving away nothing that Jiraiya hadn't told him.

It seemed that Ero-sennin had been correct, that searching in the archives for any mentions, especially _detailed_ mentions of the Rinnegan or anybody who possessed it was a complete waste of time, as there was literally nothing about it. Hell, Naruto had seen more documents on unique toe fungus than he had on the Rinnegan.

Of course the archives were so vast, with records of _everything, _it was entirely possible that there was something, somewhere in this giant library that held the secrets to his eyes. It just meant he would have to spend his entire life lurking in the library searching for it, something which he personally didn't think he could do, as he'd likely go insane from boredom before he found anything useful.

Maybe he would be better off trying to figure it out on his own. Of course if he went that way then there was every chance he would never figure anything out and he'd be stuck with these weird eyes without actually being able to do anything with them.

Just as Naruto was reaching for another book that undoubtedly had hundreds upon hundreds of pages, none of which he'd actually need, he was interrupted by a small furry missile launching itself at him. It didn't take long for Naruto to recognise who it was; it was the small, white, furry form of Akamaru.

The little puppy stood just several feet away from him, barking obscenely at him like heactually _understood_ what it was trying to say. He was drawing strange looks from the other people in the archives, all of whom looked less than impressed with the noisy little puppy that was interrupting their research.

"Shh," Naruto hissed to the dog, which seemed to take this as indication that he needed to bark more, "would you shut up? Kiba should keep a muzzle on you."

"I'll do no such thing."

'_Ah there was the dog's master,'_ thought Naruto, as the figure of Inuzuka Kiba came hurtling around the large wooden shelves that Naruto had taken up residence in during the last couple of days. Kiba looked the same as always, though Naruto thought he looked pretty tired which was odd. Kiba had stamina which rivalled his own so to see the boy panting; his hair sleek with sweat was quite alarming.

"You ok, Kiba?" Naruto asked with concerned as the boy hunched over, hands on his knees and head between his knees.

"Yeah," Kiba replied, "I…it's Sasuke."

"Sasuke?" Naruto repeated. He hadn't given his team mate much thought since Shizune had healed him, he supposed he should go and visit him. Perhaps he'd been released by now and team seven could go on missions again.

"Yeah!" Kiba exclaimed "He got released earlier today and he's going crazy at training ground eight. Keeps demanding you come and fight him, says you promised!"

"What the…" Naruto trailed off and remembered what Sasuke had said to him as he left the hospital room where he had been recovering. "I thought he was joking."

"Apparently he's serious," Kiba commented, drawing himself back to his full height "Sakura's trying to calm him down, but… well, you know how useful she is around Sasuke. Everyone's there, he's going completely mental."

If Naruto hadn't been wearing his mask, Kiba would have seen his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. He had honestly thought Sasuke was joking; they were teammates. The closest they had ever come to fighting was a supervised spar, but the way Sasuke had challenged him at the hospital made it sound like anything but.

"You better come over," Kiba told Naruto, as he scooped up Akamaru in his hands, "I don't think he'll calm down otherwise."

From the way Kiba was talking it didn't sound like the Sasuke Naruto had come to know, the Sasuke he knew was calm and thoughtful; everything a shinobi prodigy should be. He had never seen Sasuke totally lose his cool. Well, he had, but when faced with the brother who had killed your parents and entire clan, it's kind of understandable that he'd gone a bit crazy. Now though, it seemed Sasuke had completely lost it.

"Yeah," Naruto replied a bit distantly, quickly gathering up the various books that had littered the place he had spent the last two days sitting, carefully placing them back onto the various shelves that they had come from, "I'll be right behind you, Kiba."

Kiba nodded before jogging out of the view, leaving Naruto to hurriedly place the books back and followed after the young Inuzuka.

It was a bright day in Konoha; it almost made Naruto regret being cooped up in the archives. There was so much he could have been doing on a day like this but it didn't matter now, now he had to go and see why Sasuke was being a bigger asshole than usual.

Naruto dreaded to think what it was Sakura was trying to do to get Sasuke to calm down, god knows everything thing the pink haired kunoichi seemed to do around Sasuke had the opposite reaction to what she was expecting. He was sure, whatever she was saying to get Sasuke to calm down was probably making him more and more agitated, as Sasuke always did in her presence.

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Training ground eight was one of the more crowded training grounds that Konohagakure no Sato possessed. Unlike the others which where fairly barren, training ground eight was filled with trees, bushes and even a small stream. It was a training ground normally used to help train shinobi who specialised in infiltration. Naruto himself had only ever been in this training ground once and that was during Kakashi-sensei's stupid bell test, a test that he would rather forget than relive.

As Naruto followed Kiba onto the training ground, it was easy to see what the young Inuzuka had been saying. Uchiha Sasuke was pacing angrily up and down the shore of the stream, Naruto could see several shuriken embedded in one particular tree that seemed to have borne the brunt of Sasuke's anger. Like Kiba had said, Sakura was following Sasuke obediently as the last Uchiha paced up and down. It looked like she was pleading with Sasuke who, as usual, just ignored her.

Naruto's arrival at the training ground hadn't gone unnoticed; it seemed that Konoha's entire 'rookie nine' was present with Tenten and Neji casually stood by gate, only Lee was missing, and was watching anxiously as Sasuke ceased his pacing. Sasuke stopped, immediately having his arm grabbed by Sakura but the Uchiha didn't seem to notice as he was busy staring at Naruto, a demented smile appearing on his face and his eyes activating the Sharingan in an instant.

"Naruto," Sasuke breathed in excitement. The heads of the rookie nine swivelled back to Sasuke and Naruto got the distinct impression that the Uchiha had been waiting for this moment since Shizune had awoken him. The way Sasuke stood perfectly still, now with a very pleased smile on his face, told Naruto that Sasuke had been anticipating this.

"I'm pleased you came," Sasuke continued roughly shaking Sakura off his arm and giving her a quick look of disdain before turning his attention back to Naruto, "I thought you might not."

"What do you want, Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head. Sasuke was behaving very oddly, which was saying something, as he was normally aloof at the best of times.

"To prove I am the best," Sasuke told Naruto "to prove I don't need your help ever again, to prove I can beat _him_…"

This is what it was about. Sasuke's pride had been dented during the meeting with his brother, the immense power that Itachi had displayed during that little confrontation must have put Sasuke back in his place and now Sasuke wanted to reaffirm his 'dominance'. Well Naruto wasn't going to help, if Sasuke wanted to fight somebody, he could just find somebody else; Naruto had much more important things he could be doing than taking part in Sasuke's petty games.

Naruto span on his heel and turned to leave the training ground, much to the shock of the rest of rookie nine, who seemed to think he would have launched himself at Sasuke by now. Maybe they didn't understand what he did. Jiraiya's message about being a good Shinobi meaning hard work had really struck home with him. He wanted to find out what powers his eyes held, train with them and become strong using them, he didn't need to, or really want to fight with his teammate.

"Why are you leaving?" Sasuke asked, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Don't you want to fight me? You used to…you used to challenge me all the time, only back then you weren't worth my time. Now though…now I want to beat you."

Naruto bit back a growl, he wanted so badly to go and fight Sasuke but he knew that there was not a lot of point to it. Sasuke was his teammate; they had nothing on the line, nothing to gain.

This was purely about Sasuke. And Naruto, quite frankly, didn't care if Sasuke was feeling weak and worthless at this moment in time. He had more important things to think about.

"Are you scared?" Sasuke asked with a tilt of his head. Naruto came to a stop just before the gate that leads into the training area. "Scared to see what true shinobi can do compared to the Hokage's charity case?"

"Scared?" Naruto repeated, his voice a growl as he looked back over his shoulder, his mask no doubt coming into view as he looked at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye, through the slitted eye hole of his mask. "Scared of you?" Naruto bit back a laugh and turned around, back to the training ground. "I'm not scared of anybody!"

"Then prove it." Sasuke whispered, whilst falling into his familiar Taijutsu stance, an action that was mirrored by Naruto.

"Naruto!" Sakura gasped, getting back into her position at Sasuke's shoulder. She seemed appalled that Naruto had accepted Sasuke's challenge despite initially turning it down.

"Take that mask off," Sasuke demanded, "I want to look into your eyes when I beat you."

Naruto ignored him, his lip curling into a snarl beneath his mask and his eyes narrowed. He curled his hands into fists, making his knuckles go white with pressure, he was suddenly aware of the multiple sets of eyes that was watching this situation with interest.

Naruto, however, didn't have time to reflect on his fellow shinobi gathered in training ground eight, as Sasuke seemed to take Naruto falling into a Taijutsu stance as a signal that he was ready to fight, which he was. Sasuke charged straight for Naruto, having roughly pushed Sakura to the ground.

Sasuke arrived, swinging a punch right for Naruto's head, causing the blonde to have to quickly raise his hands to protect his masked face. He didn't have time to retaliate though, as Sasuke had used the momentum of his blocked punch to spin his body around and lash a kick out at Naruto, who despite blocking it, was sent sprawling to the ground.

Naruto had landed with a thud and proceeded to skid several metres across the dry earth, feeling his skin graze beneath his clothes as he did so. Sasuke had landed gracefully with what looked to Naruto like a victorious smirk on his face, that damn smirk of superiority had been the same one he had seen during their Genin exam when Sasuke had effortlessly gone through the requirements.

Naruto heaved himself off the ground and back into a standing position, his arms stinging from where he had received that kick from Sasuke. Looking at the Uchiha, he saw that Sasuke was waiting for him to return to his feet before attacking, the action could be seen as comradely but Naruto thought it was probably closer to cockiness.

Sasuke wasted no time flashing through various handseals once Naruto had gotten to his feet. Naruto watched as Sasuke's body seemed to pulse with a blood red mist that Naruto had come to suspect as Chakra, his eyes flicking down to Sasuke's hands; Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar….he was using that fireball technique he had seen so often.

"_Katon: Gōkakyu no Jutsu!" _Sasuke bellowed, bringing his fingers up to his mouth and blowing gently, causing a huge ball of fire to ignite several feet away from Sasuke, and in the place where Naruto had been stood. Luckily Naruto was a few seconds ahead of Sasuke, already guessing the technique and was thus able to avoid the massive fireball.

Naruto had leaped into the shrub land that sat long the wall of the training ground, taking cover among the bushes, much like Sasuke had done during the infamous bell test. He watched from his position in the bush as the giant fireball died down, leaving nothing but severely scolded earth. The fury written across Sasukes face was almost comical; apparently he hadn't expected him to escape.

As Naruto watched Sasuke whirl around, looking for any sign of where he had hidden, a plan started formulate in his head. It was risky, relying almost entirely on Sasuke thinking he was stupid…

His fingers formed the familiar cross that was needed to create his clones. Naruto wasted no time and whispered "Kage bushin no jutsu". Suddenly, on either side of him three perfect clones appeared.

Naruto was immediately assaulted by multiple points of view all looking at the same thing from a few different angles, it was weird, like it had been back when he was fighting Kabuto, only now it was on a much larger scale as there was six clones. It'd have to be something he got used to…maybe Jiraiya could help?

Naruto nodded at both sets of clones in a signal that confirmed his and their readiness, Naruto along with five clones leapt from the safety of the bush, leaving one solitary clone behind, each clutching a Kunai in each of their hands they launched them at Sasuke, deliberately aiming slightly off the Uchiha so that the Kunai embedded in the ground around the boy.

Naruto was assaulted by several visions of Sasukes fist or foot attacking his numerous clones before he saw Sasukes foot come thundering towards his stomach, winding him and sending him flying backwards into the stream with a splash. It was with some satisfaction that Naruto watched Sasuke cross the small piece of grassland towards the shrub land without checking to see if all the 'clones' had dispelled.

As Naruto hid in the water of the stream he could see Sasukes feet approaching thanks to the single clone he had left laying among the bushes. The clone looked up, seeing Sasuke's emotionless face staring down upon it and offered a meek smile to the Sharingan wielding boy, the clone watched as Sasuke flashed through the same handseals he had done moments earlier before launching the increasingly bigger fireball at the poor clone and somersaulting back into the clearing, thinking he had grasped victory in this fight.

Sasuke's back was turned, watching the flames that tore through the shrub land with a triumphant look on his face, clearly happy with himself. It was the same look of triumph that Sasuke had worn when he defeated Yoroi Akado in the Chunnin exams.

Climbing out of the stream, Naruto clambered up onto the bank to see Sasuke still watching the flames, Naruto's fellow genin were watching him intently as he pushed himself to his feet and began to run at his teammate. Naruto's jumpsuit was soaking wet, sticking to his body as he ran towards the figure of Sasuke. Sasuke turned suddenly, several Kunai on his fingers ready to launch at Naruto, but he was too late.

By the time he had turned around, Naruto was already flying through the air, his leg stretched out, the sole of his foot completely flat as he planted it squarely on Sasuke's chest, sending the Uchiha flying backwards, over the remaining flames from his jutsu and into the trunk of a burning tree.

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The tall figure of Nara Shikamaru for once wasn't lazily reclining and watching the clouds roll by. Instead he was watching intently of the battle between Naruto and Sasuke, he like everybody else in the Rookie Nine was pleasantly surprised with how well Uzumaki Naruto had done during the Chunnin exams, even if he had done so in such an unusual style.

Most genin had developed a decent repertoire of jutsu during the training under their jounin sensei. God knows Asuma had spent a lot of time and effort making his own Genin team into a well functioning unit that might live up to everyone's expectations. Naruto however didn't seem to have done anything since graduating the academy, he still seemed to rely on the Kage Bushin and his sloppy Taijutsu, whereas it appeared, at least to him, that Sasuke had progressed as one would expect from a Uchiha.

Yet despite that, Sasuke had fallen for a brilliant plan by Naruto. The loudmouth who had done worse than he had during his academy years had tricked the prodigy; there was something bittersweet about that for Shikamaru. Maybe there was something more to the blonde genin than everybody had thought; perhaps he wasn't the Hokages' charity case after all, maybe Naruto did have promise to become a good shinobi even if his dad said the boy would always be a lost cause.

That was another thing that didn't add up about Naruto. Everyone in Konoha seemed to hate the boy; Shikamaru couldn't remember anything that Naruto had done to deserve that type of hatred, sure he'd been annoying, but not to the point of hatred.

"Woah," as impressed voice from beside him muttered breaking Shikamaru out of his musing. The boy was rather plump, a packet of crisps in his hands as he watched the display between two of Team Seven's genin, his hair sticking out of the strange hat that sat on his head. His blue eyes were wide as he watched Sasuke fly through the air and into the burning tree, clearly impressed.

Choji had always been somewhat easier on Naruto than the majority of the other genin, probably because they had isolated Choji too and not let him join in their games just like they had Naruto. He emphasised with the blonde and had often stuck up for the boy whenever he was unfairly treated by their classmates, a trait that just about summed up Choji's loyalty.

"That was good, right, Shikamaru?" The plump boy asked looking at him for confirmation.

"Yeah," Shikamaru nodded in agreement his eyes flicking back to the fight, "I never had Naruto pegged as someone for strategy, but I guess even Naruto can think quickly when needed."

"Yeah!" Choji enthused "Guess Naruto really is a good shinobi huh?"

Shikamaru nodded thinking about the change that had occurred within Naruto since he had come back from finding the Godaime; he had spent more time locked away in the archives than at Ichiraku's, which was highly unusual.

Whatever had happened on that trip had changed Naruto and that mask he was wearing….well, Shikamaru couldn't see how Sasuke could be healed in moments by the two medic ninja that had been brought back, but they couldn't cure whatever it was that had caused Naruto to don a ANBU style mask.

"One thing's for sure," Shikamaru told Choji "something doesn't quite add up with Naruto."

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The figure of Uchiha Sasuke hit the tree with a crack, his head snapping back and bashing against the tree. Naruto saw Sasuke's eye narrow before he fell face first onto the charcoal like ground.

Naruto turned his back to Sasuke and began to walk towards the streets of Konoha, away from the training area. He was secretly pretty proud of himself.

He'd just managed to outsmart the prodigy of Konoha, the boy many expected to have a bright future within the shinobi ranks of Konoha, whereas he was somebody who many had been against him even joining the ninja academy. And he'd done it by using his head, he hadn't charged in blindly screaming and shouting like he had contemplated, but instead, he'd used his strengths to overcome him…Maybe Jiraiya had been right. Maybe there was a time for charging in and a time for thinking things through.

"We haven't finished!"

Naruto closed his eyes. He had hoped Sasuke would know that this fight was over; Sasuke must have gotten pretty badly burnt when he crashed into the burning tree and he supposed it was a testament to Sasuke's strength that he was able to still challenge him to continue the fight.

Naruto turned around and looked at Sasuke, his clothes were burnt revealing some of his chest, pink from the heat of the burning tree. The crimson red liquid of blood cascading down his chest the same crimson red liquid that his hair seemed to be matted with, the insane look in his eyes was, however, still present. A pang of guilt hit Naruto; he hadn't intended to cause that much damage to Sasuke when he had delivered the kick, but the guilt quickly subsided as he remembered Sasuke launching two of those giant fireballs at him.

"You can't beat me that easily!" Sasuke roared as he clambered through the burning remains of the small piece of forest into the clearing again. Naruto could see dismay on the faces of Ino and Sakura as Sasuke arrived in the clearing.

"Sasuke," Naruto asked him quietly, "what are you doing?"

"Proving…." Sasuke's breaths were ragged and he was blinking strangely, "proving I'm stronger than you, better than you! I….to prove your nothing but a poor ninja who got through the academy by luck."

Naruto got the distinct impression that wasn't what Sasuke had intended to say, that he had amended what he was originally going to say to something else, something more…personal?

"I'm done, Sasuke," Naruto told him, "I don't have anything to prove!"

"Yes you do," Sasuke snapped, his lips forming a vicious smirk, "even if you could finish me off you couldn't…just like you couldn't with Haku."

Naruto winced as if stung by a bee. He had no idea how Sasuke had known about his inability to fulfil Haku's wishes but he had a good guess, throwing a look at Sakura and had he not been wearing his mask she would have seen an incredibly hurt look, though she seemed to get the message as she recoiled under his gaze.

"I'm done, Sasuke," Naruto repeated coldly, "I'm not going to get involved in your petty attempts to live up to your brother."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Sasuke screamed accusingly, before regaining his composure and finishing, "Don't you dare talk about him. You know nothing!"

"I know everything!" Naruto growled angrily, "I know you're so desperate to catch up to your brother, you're willing to do anything and get there by any means. So desperate for revenge, that you think about nothing else. But I know something you haven't realized yet; you're not as ruthless as Itachi…you don't have the hate."

Naruto watched Sasuke's eyes widen before they narrowed dangerously, apparently he had struck a nerve.

"You know nothing."

Naruto answered with a shrug. He knew he was right, he knew exactly how Sasuke was feeling…well, not exactly, but he knew about how revenge made you act differently. When he was younger he remembered wanting to have revenge against the people who treated him badly, sometimes it scared him to remember how closely to becoming like Gaara he had come but he'd found something other than revenge, friends.

Naruto supposed this was the difference between himself and Sasuke…he had craved friends and when he made them, he had quickly lost his resentment he had felt to those who had treated him badly but Sasuke, who so many people wanted to be friends with, had shunned everyone and thrived in the hate he had for his brother.

As Naruto turned once, intent on going back to his apartment to read over the books he had managed to take out of the archives, he felt the same crackling in the air as he had in the chunnin exam. Sasuke couldn't possibly be doing what he thought he was, could he?

Turning quickly he saw Sasuke gripping his right hand with his left. Bright white light, not dissimilar to that which had gathered around Tsunade's, started to form around Sasuke before the luminous white chakra of lightening began to gather in Sasuke hand.

Naruto knew he had to act quickly and crossing his fingers in the familiar handseal for the Kage Bushin, a perfect replica of Naruto appearing beside him. It was obvious to one set of eyes that Sasuke was nearly finished charging his Chidori, let alone two. Naruto stuck his hand out and began to gather as much Chakra as possible whilst the clone worked as quickly as possible, Naruto kept his eye of Sasuke whilst watching through his strange link to his clone how the Rasengan was coming along.

Sasuke's Chidori was finished charging quicker than Naruto had been able to make his Rasengan, and it was with some fear that he watched Sasuke come rushing forward, the dirt from the ground flying into the air as he did so.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke roared, his eyes wide the two tomoe of the Sharingan becoming apparent to Naruto, whose clone dispelled, leaving Naruto with a fully formed Rasengan in his hand.

"RASENGAN!" Naruto roared from behind his mask swinging his arm out to strike hoping that he would be able to strike Sasuke before he could hit the Chidori on him.

Both shinobi came within millimetres of striking each other when an unfamiliar voice shouted over the both of there roars.

"_Fūton: Daitoppa" _

A large, almost hurricane like wind erupted within training ground eight with enough force to fling the bodies of Naruto and Sasuke from their impending clash and into the large wall, where the shrub land had previously been, that separated training ground eight from training ground nine.

The blast of wind may have been able to stop the two shinobi striking each other but it hadn't stopped the wall receiving the brunt of both jutsu. The Chidori and Rasengan both hit the wall causing a small explosion to erupt, sending chunks of rubble all over the training ground.

Naruto wandered through the dust that had filtered across the ground thanks to the small explosion, coughing and covered head to toe in dust, but otherwise seemingly ok. As Naruto came out of the dust, managing to blink away the remnants of soot that had filtered through the mask, he saw exactly who was responsible for ending his and Sasuke's 'disagreement'.

There in the middle of the clearing, standing in front of the rest of the rookie nine, stood Sarutobi Asuma. His cigarette hung limply from his mouth, his hands were still in the seal for the jutsu he just used, and a look of absolute fury was on his face.

"What the hell is going on here?"


	6. Chapter 6 Son of Sarutobi

A/N :- Here's the sixth chapter. It's been looked over by one of my two beta's so when my second beta comes back to me I may repost this chapter with any minor changes that they pick up (thanks go to both of them for putting up with my mistakes and making this fic readable). I hope you enjoy it feel free to leave an comments on likes and dislikes. Thank you for your positive responce to my fic, it's been pleasently surprising as i didnt think anybody would really read it.

**Chapter 6 – Son of Sarutobi **

Naruto had rarely seen team tens Jonin sensei, but whenever he had he'd seemed very similar to Shikamaru. Sarutobi Asuma had always seemed fairly laid back, not willing to let anything faze him, he'd always seemed to so calm and collected. But that wasn't the Asuma who was stood in front of him at the moment; the man in front of him was flushed with an anger that Naruto hadn't had directed at him in months.

Naruto tried several times to offer an explanation for what had just happened but nothing he could think of seemed to be able to justify what the bearded man had just broken up. Naruto knew he was well and truly in the shit. He'd been caught using an A rank technique on a fellow shinobi of Konoha , his team mate no less, and whilst Sasuke had been in the same situation he somehow doubted that the Uchiha heir would be in the same amount of trouble he would no doubt be in.

Naruto was momentarily distracted by the figure of Uchiha Sasuke stumbling out from the rubble looking much worse than he did. Despite being, like Naruto, covered from head to toe in soot, the crimson red blood that drained from the wounds which Naruto had inflicted upon his team mate was still evident, staining the soot a bloody red.

Naruto had to admit Sasuke looked a lot worse than he did, as he tried stumbling towards the group he fell to a knee a couple of times clearly struggling to stand, the injury to the back of his head no doubt being the source of Sasukes pain.

"Sasuke," Asuma barked, "you need to go to the hospital."

"I'm fine!" Sasuke growled coming ever closer to Naruto, "I don't need your help!"

Sasukes point would have been much more convincing had he not again stumbled and nearly fallen down. Naruto watched Asuma give Shikamaru a sideward glance and nod of the head, Shikamaru seemed to understand, probably due to the closeness that the two shared and brought his hand into one solitary handseal; The seal of the rat.

The shadow beneath Shikamaru zoomed forward just like it had during the chunnin exams and joined with Sasukes shadow. Sasukes stilled instantly, a look of anger ignited in his eyes as he realised what had happened.

"I'll take him to the Hospital Asuma-sensei." Shikamaru offered before walking calmly away from the group like he had witnessed nothing out of the ordinary, his shadow still connected to Sasukes and Sasuke was forced to mirror Shikamaru's every move, the look of defiance still present in his eyes, as Shikamaru marched him out of the training ground.

"Thank you, Shikamaru." Asuma nodded in acknowledgement to his student.

Naruto now shifted uncomfortably as the gaze of team tens jonin instructor turned upon him, he was now well aware he was the only one suffering Asuma's anger and if it was anything like his fathers had been…Naruto shuddered, the thought of the one time he had managed to anger the Sandaime still present in his mind.

This wasn't particularly a foreign situation for Naruto, when he had been younger and had been one of the more…Mischievous villagers he had been caught numerous times by the village's shinobi and each time he'd been caught it had led to a hefty bout of anger on those shinobi' parts. It wasn't anything new to Naruto.

"You," Asuma growled in a manner that reminded Naruto of a dog, "follow me, we're going to see the Hokage."

Naruto nodded quickly, eager not to anger Sarutobi Asuma any more than he already had. The bearded man began to walk out of the training ground, causally rummaging through his pockets no doubt looking for his lighter, with Naruto a healthy few paces behind.

It was quite embarrassing to be honest; to be frog marched by a man who he had only ever really spoken to a handful of times and didn't really know. To make things worse it had happened in front of the entire rookie nine as well as two members of team Gai, Naruto couldn't help but remind himself that he had always tried to prove himself to be the strongest and yet here he was getting frog marched to the Hokage's office like some sort of criminal.

"I can't believe it," Asuma muttered under his breath, "what is Kakashi teaching these kids! What type of team fights amongst itself?"

Naruto wasn't really sure he was supposed to overhear Asuma's muttering though it wasn't like he could do anything about it. He had learned a long time ago that talking to people when they where angry often resulted in the anger being directed at him, which in this instance was not exactly something he wanted to happen. It was bad enough he'd no doubt get a tongue lashing from Tsunade, he didn't want to risk getting one from the normally calm and laid back Asuma.

"I'll be having words with Tsunade-Hime about Kakashi's team," Asuma grumbled still walking through the village at a brisk pace towards the Hokage mansion, Naruto having spent more time in that mansion in front of the Sandaime Hokage, Asuma's father, than he cared to count. It seemed that the same trend was happening with the Godaime, she was barely two days into her term as Hokage and he was already being dragged off to see her.

He had wondered over the last two days what type of Hokage Tsunade would turn out to be. She certainly didn't seem to be like the old man, well she hadn't when they had brought her back to the village. She was rude and aggressive and didn't listen very well, in fact she was everything that Naruto thought would make a bad Hokage wrapped up into one henged women.

Though Naruto supposed it could be possible that the responsibility of being Hokage could straighten her out? Maybe Tsunade would be a good Hokage…though he thought it was a long shot he'd seen the way she had acted in that little town where he and Jiraiya had tracked her down to, drinking insane amounts of Sake and gambling away what Jiraiya had called her family fortune.

Naruto looked up and saw that they had arrived at the Hokage mansion, the carved faces of the past Hokages where forever immortalised in the cliff face to the side of the impressive mansion. The mansion itself was impressive, putting all other houses in Konoha to shame, though Naruto knew from personal experience the mansion itself only had one floor of living space making the mansion more of an apartment than anything else. The first floor of the mansion was the reception, where people booking appointments to see the Hokage went, and then there was the next floor which was the Hokage offices, a corridor filled with various rooms filled with forbidden jutsu scrolls and other artefacts Naruto had never quite gotten access to. Then Naruto guessed that the third floor would be the residential area for the Hokage.

"Good morning," The receptionist, behind a small desk as Naruto followed Asuma through the doors and into the reception, called in the annoying patronising voice that all receptionists seemed to use, "how may I help you today?"

"I need to speak with the Hokage please." Asuma requested. Naruto let a sigh of relief go that he didn't know he had been holding, it seemed that Asuma had calmed down as his voice didn't hold any of the anger that it had in the training ground.

"Do you have an appointment?" the women asked, typing on her computer a slight frown appeared on her forehead.

"Well no," Asuma replied slightly sheepishly, "it's a matter of disciplinary."

There is was. Naruto was now officially in the shit. He wasn't stupid, he'd read the rules, sparring with a team mate was allowed even encouraged but the moment you over stepped the line from sparring to fighting it was an extremely important matter. Somehow he didn't imagine he could pretend that both he and Sasuke were sparring when they had been caught by a Jounin using two A-ranks techniques.

"I see," the women cast a look at Naruto of utter distain before looking back at Asuma, "I understand, that thing spends more time here than the Hokage does."

Narutos head hung. He was well aware that whilst the shinobi' opinion of him was slowly changing and he was slowly but surely gaining respect as a decent ninja but, among the civilians it wasn't hard to see that the resentment of him was still as present as ever.

"Can I see Tsunade then?" Asuma asked with a slight edge developing in his voice.

"Oh yes of course," the middle aged women bumbled as she once again started typing on her computer, "If I may take your name please sir?"

"Sarutobi Asuma." Asuma replied at once, the woman momentarily stopped typing and looked at the man with what Naruto could only assume was pity.

"Oh you poor man," the women cooed, "Your father was a wonderful man and is sorely missed."

To Naruto Asuma looked incredibly awkward like he didn't quite no how to respond to the mention of his father. He stroked his beard and took a puff of his cigarette, careful to direct the smoke away from the women behind the counter, a soft smile graced his lips but didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Thank you," Asuma replied to the women, "I'm sure he died the way he wished, protecting the village."

"Of course" the women replied respectfully with a bow of her head.

"Come on Naruto." Asuma ordered as he set off for his father's former office. It only really started to occur to Naruto that Asuma probably had a better knowledge of this building than anybody still alive; he had most likely grown up in this building.

Naruto followed Asuma up the staircase, towards what he assumed would be Tsunade's office. Naruto mentally prepared himself for what he was sure would be a verbal beating from the Godaime.

As the two Konoha shinobi got closer to the door which Naruto knew to hold the Hokage's office, having snuck into it many times during his days in the academy, the dim sound of voices could be heard through the impressive oak door, which had been shut.

Asuma knocked loudly on the door and the voices went quiet, there was a moment of silence as Naruto and Asuma waited anxiously for the door to be answered. When the door was opened it wasn't by Tsunade or even Shizune, it was instead being the white haired, tattooed face of Jiraiya that poked around the door as it opened.

"Asuma, just the man I wanted to see." Jiraiya asked with a friendly smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh," Asuma replied casting a quick look at Naruto, "well it wasn't actually you I came to see. Is Tsunade here?"

Jiraiya's head disappeared behind the door away from view for a moment before the door opened revealing the office. Jiraiya now stood beside a desk that was piled high with paper; in between the piles of paper sat the extremely bored looking Tsunade. Her head resting in the palm of her hand, her body slouched and she looked like she would rather be anywhere but cooped up in this office.

"Tsunade-Sama." Asuma greeted with a slight bow of his head.

"What can I do for you Asuma?" the blonde women asked lifting her head out of her hands and folding them underneath her bust.

"I…" Asuma's eyes snapped over to where Jiraiya was sat casually reading the document that sat at the top of the extremely large pile to the right of Tsunade.

"Don't worry about Jiraiya," Tsunade informed Asuma off handily, "he might as well stay he'd only find out what happened here anyway."

Jiraiya seemed to take what Tsunade had said as a compliment but Naruto thought she meant it as anything but. Though that didn't seem to bother the white haired man, then again this was the man who took the word pervert as the ultimate compliment.

"I had arranged to meet my genin team at training ground six to work on their Taijutsu," Asuma explained "as I was on my way however I got distracted by a large commotion coming from training ground eight. I decided to check in on it and arrived just in time to see Uchiha Sasuke charging at Uzumaki Naruto with the Chidori."

At that moment Naruto saw both Sannin's eyes lock on him. Jiraiya seemed slightly more alarmed than Tsunade did; perhaps she wasn't familiar with the Chidori technique. It didn't seem like a technique that many people where aware of as Naruto recalled that only Maito Gai had known of it when Sasuke revealed it during the chunnin exams.

"Uzumaki then retaliated with the Yondaime's Rasengan." This announcement from Asuma had drawn a gasp from Tsunade and a slightly proud look on the face of Jiraiya.

"Injuries?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"Thankfully they where minimal," Asuma replied, "Sasuke suffered more than Naruto did, it would have been much worse had I not intervened and managed to divert each of them away from the other. Though I am afraid the wall dividing training grounds eight and nine will need repairing."

"Explain yourself Naruto," Tsunade ordered, "and it had better be good."

Naruto knew that there wasn't any way he could explain himself. He had allowed Sasuke to bait him into a fight, a fight which had quickly escalated into both shinobi using extremely dangerous techniques. There was no way to get himself out of this, he would just have to accept the punishment.

"There isn't much to explain," Naruto informed his Hokage with a shrug, "me and Sasuke had a disagreement and well…."

It was strictly true but it was better than saying that Sasuke had just been looking for a fight and he had stupidly given Sasuke exactly what he wanted.

"He's your team mate!" Tsunade exclaimed, "the entire reason that genin are placed on a team of three is to teach them the value of teamwork. You're not supposed to try and kill your team mates!"

The last part had come out as a hiss and her eyes where staring at him incredulously like she couldn't believe what Asuma had told her.

"In fairness Tsunade-Sama," Asuma argued before Naruto had had chance, "Naruto only used his Rasengan when he saw Sasuke charging the Chidori. It was more self defence than anything."

Naruto shot what he hoped was a thankful glance towards Asuma, who if he saw it didn't acknowledge it. Naruto could hardly believe a man who he had barely said five words to had openly defended him, defended him against the prestigious Uchiha and whilst what he had said was the truth Naruto had lived in Konoha long enough to know that the truth wasn't always spoken when it concerned him.

This announcement from the Sandaime's son had apparently caused Tsunade to lose some of her anger, as she sank back into her chair and looked at both Naruto and Asuma.

"So where is Uchiha Sasuke?" Tsunade asked with a tilt of her head.

"Nara Shikamaru has taken him to the hospital," Asuma replied immediately.

Tsunade turned her attention once again back to Naruto and raised an eyebrow at him and asked in a voice which contained a mixture of anger and mild disbelief,

"You injured him enough to warrant sending him to hospital?"

Naruto looked sheepish, scratching the back of his head causing several strands of blonde hair to fall forward over his white mask momentarily obscuring the painted leaf insignia on the forehead of the mask.

"I didn't mean to," Naruto exclaimed, "we where fighting and well…I tricked him with my clones and sort of…kicked him into a tree."

"I see," Tsunade replied with pursed lips, "you should just be grateful that neither of you where _seriously _hurt. Never the less it is still incredibly irresponsible and as such you will be on D rank missions for the next month."

"WHAT!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You heard me. You've demonstrated a complete and utter lack of respect for your team mate, even endangering his life. You're lucky I am not sending you back to the academy."

"But I only used the Rasengan in defence!" Naruto protested, repeating the words which Asuma had used in defence of him just minutes earlier.

"You where still fighting before that," Tsunade told him, "and not just a friendly spar." Tsunade quickly told him seeing that he was ready to protest.

"But I didn't go looking for the fight! Sasuke goaded me!" Naruto exclaimed still protesting against the D-rank mission punishment, he'd rather do anything than D rank missions. If he had to go back to chasing lost cats and painting fences now he'd go insane.

"And you responded." Tsunade pointed out "you where as much a part of that fight as Sasuke was."

"Well I don't see Sasuke here!" Naruto argued crossing his arms.

"That's because you put him in hospital!" Tsunade growled and beneath his mask Naruto blushed, "and don't worry after this meeting I am going to go and speak with Sasuke and hand him the same punishment."

Naruto was slightly relieved that he was at least being treated on an even foot with Sasuke. If he was going to be doing D-rank missions for a month then Sasuke should be doing them for at least two months seeing as he was the one who tried to hit him with the Chidori.

"Now I expect you to report here tomorrow morning for your first D-rank." Tsunade ordered. Naruto nodded sharply and made a quick retreat from the office, Asuma began to follow him out apparently thinking that his job had been done and that the punishment had been handed out.

"Actually Asuma," the deep voice of Jiraiya called out as the two Konoha shinobi where close to opening the door, "could you stay behind we would like to discuss something with you."

Asuma looked at both Sannin carefully for a moment before nodding and stepping back into the room, in a few short strides managing to be back standing in front of Tsunade's desk like he had been just moments before.

"You may leave Naruto." Tsunade told him.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice, there was a bowl of ramen at his apartment with his name on it. Opening the door and stepping out side of Tsunade's office he left the door to swing itself shut; as it did he caught the beginning of the Sannin and Asuma's conversation.

"Now Asuma," the unmistaken voice of Jiraiya asked, "are you still in touch with the twel…"

The door to the Hokages office shut with a soft click of the latch, the conversation ending and being replaced with nothing but soft murmurs. Naruto's curiosity was peaked about what could possibly be being talked about between two Sannin and the Sandaime Hokages eldest son, but even he was not brave (or stupid) enough to try and listen in on a conversation between two Sannin. And beside he was hungry and there was a bowl of ramen just waiting to be eaten at his apartment.

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The Uchiha clan district was the largest of all the clan districts in Konohagakure no Sato and was best described as a small town. Near on a hundred decently sized houses that all sat long since abandoned, the roads that led between the houses where empty. If anybody had been walking past the entrance to the district they would have thought it empty, abandoned and completely uninhabitable. However, they would be wrong.

Deep in the heart of the Uchiha clan district there was a house, not much different from the rest of the houses that made up the district, where a single light shone into the otherwise dark section of Konoha.

Uchiha Sasuke was to everybody's knowledge the last Uchiha in Konoha, the only surviving Uchiha from the once great clan that had been tragically slaughtered at the hands of their own prodigy. When it had happened everyone had been so considerate towards him, so quick to offer him kind words and a comforting ear but he needed none of there pity.

The third Hokage had offered him various apartments, trying to tempt him away from the place he had called home for so many years. The third had often come to visit him to make sure that he was coping, Sasuke didn't know why or particularly care, he guessed that the Sandaime was worried about the effects living in the house that he had witnessed his parents so brutally murdered in would have on him.

He needn't have worried. Nothing had changed in fact living in that house, his house, had done more for him than any teacher at the academy. This house had helped create the hate that he would one day be able to use to redeem his clan, to one day kill his brother and avenge his family's death; this house had caused his sadness to turn into his most powerful weapon.

Everywhere he looked when he was in his house he saw them. Their smiling faces, the look on his mum's face when he'd arrive home from his friends houses, the look on his dad's face as he'd spot him playing ninja with the other clans' children, sometimes he thought he could even hear their voices.

This house served a reminder for everything he had had taken from him, ripped from his hands by his own flesh and blood, everything he sought revenge for. Yet, the hate he felt wasn't enough, the power he had wasn't enough…he didn't hold a candle to Itachi. By his age Itachi had become ANBU captain and here he was still stuck on a Genin team, a genin team of rejects. He had the dead last and a kunoichi who didn't know one end of a Kunai from the other, how was he supposed to get powerful enough to kill his brother with such no hopers around him.

But even those no hopers, or perhaps just the dead last, had shown glimpses of something that truly terrified him. Uzumaki Naruto, a boy who had barely managed to graduate the academy, had proved himself to be a powerful adversary. There was a power in Naruto that nobody seemed to be able to explain, or more importantly is willing to explain what this power was. He'd had glimpses of it when they had hunted down Sabaku no Gaara, how had somebody as unremarkable as Uzumaki Naruto been able to beat the monster that Gaara had transformed into? How had Naruto been able to summon a summon the size of which he had? Sasuke had considered it a fluke at the time; it had been well documented in his clan that even average shinobi were capable of pulling of remarkable feet's when under enough stress but now that option seemed less likely.

The fight he had challenged Uzumaki Naruto too had opened his eyes, he had been beaten by the dead last. The dead last had somehow managed to trick him and capitalised on it, how had he been able to pull of such a move against him? Every sparring session they had had since being placed on the same team had resulted in his victory…it was almost like Naruto's fighting style had changed since coming back from collecting the Godaime.

How could he expect to beat Itachi if he couldn't even beat Naruto? He had to become stronger; he had to know jutsu that could kill Itachi, his giant fireball hadn't even been able to scold Naruto's hideous orange jumpsuit how could he expect to hit Itachi with it. Kakashi had proved hesitant to teach him any significant jutsu; he'd only relented to teach him the Chidori because of the threat that Gaara posed. He would never reach the level of power he needed under the tutoring of Kakashi, he'd never progress whilst being held back by poor shinobi like Naruto and Sakura. He needed to get stronger.

"Well if it isn't Larry loner."

Sasuke whipped around, dropping his chopsticks onto the wooden table with a mild clatter, standing abruptly upending his seat and locking eyes with the intruder in his house.

The intruder stood boldly in the doorframe of the kitchen; he was tall with limp greyish hair framing a pale face with strangely dark lips, a beaded necklace hanging around his slender neck and odd purple rope tied around his waist.

"Who are you!" Sasuke demanded falling into a fighting stance.

"That would be very stupid of you," The figure chuckled nodding at Sasukes fighting stance before glancing over Sasukes shoulder, the last Uchiha glanced quickly over his shoulder too see a redheaded girl wearing a bandana, a defiant look in her brown eyes as she crouched on his windowsill. The grey haired figure then glanced to his right, near the door which lead to the staircase revealing a large red Mohawk'd man, a thick large purple rope tied in a bow around his back, even Sasuke had to admit he looked intimidating. It was then Sasuke noticed that the grey haired line of sight had shifted again this time to directly above him, there on the ceiling was a tanned young man with four arms and a black ponytail which hung towards the table as he effortlessly hung from the ceiling, the young boy gave him mocking smile.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked knowing full well he was surrounded. He wasn't Naruto, he wasn't stupid enough to attack the young man who stood in front of him whilst his three cronies surrounded him.

"That's simple," The figure in the doorway replied, "we're here to collect you."

"Collect me?"

"Yes," a smile adorned the dark lips of the figure "we're here to take you to Orochimaru."

"Oh," Sasuke growled "and what makes you think I'll go with you?"

"Because you want power," the young man whispered "and Orochimaru-sama can give you the power you crave."

Sasukes eyes went wide. This was an offer; they wanted him to go with them to train under a Sannin. To train under one of the most powerful shinobi in the world, a shinobi who made Kakashi look like a genin.

"That seal on your neck," the girl behind him said causing Sasuke to again glance over his shoulder, "is the key. It will unlock all your potential, potential which will be lost if you don't come with us. You won't amount to anything in this shitty village."

"She's right," the pale figure in the doorway agreed, "the hidden villages keep shinobi weak. Telling them which jutsu they can and can't learn, forbidding them from using techniques of true power. Orochimaru-sama is unlike any other Kage; he encourages you to learn such techniques, rewards you're for mastering deadly techniques any other village would exile you for. He is the only way you'll get power."

Was it true? Was it possible? Could Orochimaru possibly give him the power he so desperately needed to succeed or was that a lie? Maybe he could gain the power they spoke of here…his mind cut to the technique that Naruto had used. He'd seen the destruction that that little sphere of swirling chakra had done to the wall, blasting right through it where his Chidori had only made a dent in it. If Naruto was gaining power then surely he could but then again this was Naruto and there was something about him that not even he could put his finger on.

"Come with us," The figure urged "we'll free you from the shackles that keep you weak. You'll be a match for your brother before you know it."

Sasuke turned shocked eyes back upon the figure who smirked at the look of shock that was written across Sasukes face.

"Oh yes Orochimaru-sama has told us all about the great Uchiha Itachi," the boy remarked "about how strong he is. About how he was the pride of your clan, about how nobody but he could match the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan."

How they knew this information he didn't know. It was too much of a coincidence to not be true. To know of his clan's ultimate technique took intimate knowledge of the person; to know Itachi possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan meant that Orochimaru knew Itachi…

"I'll come," Sasuke decided.

"Thought you would," the figure smirked, "Orochimaru said you wouldn't be able to resist the call of true power."

Sasuke nodded, dropping his fighting stance and giving his kitchen one last look, he was about to take his first step to truly avenging his family's death. Itachi's blood would stain his hands if it was the last thing he did.


	7. Chapter 7 The Twelve

AN:- Heres chapter seven. One of my beta's has a lot on their plate at the moment so once again this has only been edited by one of my beta's, i'd like to thank him for doing an awesome job. Now to answer a few questions _NO _this will not be a Naruto/ Harem story, i'm sorry to disappoint those who hoped it would be but i find it hard enough to make a pairing believeable with just two people add more people into the mix and it just gets away from reality. Some issues arose about the last chapter that I posted and i will be attempting to address them whenever I have time permitting (deadlines are being a bitch at the moment.) I hope you enjoy this, again feel free to tell me what you liked and what you didnt. Thanks for reading Nova12

**Chapter 7 - The twelve **

Eight fifteen.

Who the hell was knocking at his door at eight fifteen in the morning? Though knocking may have been pushing it, the knock was so soft at first, Naruto had thought he had been imagining it; he'd barely been up twenty minutes and was only awake because he knew Tsunade would likely murder him if he reported late for his 'punishment'.

Still wearing nothing but his pyjama bottoms and a slightly frayed vest styled shirt Naruto trudged over from the small chair he had placed against his counter which served as both his dining area and kitchen, leaving a half eaten bowl of Ramen stewing on the side. His old Hitai-ite still maintaining pride of place on the counter, having not worn it since Jiraiya had given him that mask. He had thought about wearing it somewhere else on his body like he had seen the other genin do but none of the places he had tried had felt right, it just wasn't the same.

Walking towards the door, Naruto grabbed the mask that had been placed on a rusty hook which had originally been designed to hold a coat and placed it on his face. It was surprising how quickly he had become accustomed to wearing the mask; it was almost routine for him now.

Making sure that the mask was in place he swiftly turned the keys that sat in to lock and twisted the door's battered handle, yanking the door open; ready to ask just why they felt the need to knock at such an ungodly hour. The point that he was up anyway was mute, who _willingly_ came out at this time of the morning?

Only when he opened to door there was nobody there. He was positive he hadn't been imagining the knocking; perhaps it was the classic Shinobi game of knock knock Ninja that seemed so popular amongst the academy students, he was about to turn around grumbling about shinobi wannabes when he caught a flash of purple hair poking out from behind the corner. If there was one thing he hated about young academy students who played knock knock ninja it was the academy students who stayed around afterwards to watch their victims.

Deciding that this little punk wouldn't get away with it, Naruto walked quickly along the corridor that lead to his block of apartments to where he had seen the brazen young shinobi in training loitering, he'd teach them to knock on peoples doors and run. Naruto would never have dreamed of doing something so…stupid when he was younger when he played knock knock ninja, he never stuck around to watch. That was just plain stupid, a rookie mistake, especially when concerning Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto jumped around the corner, putting on his most deranged looking face and slamming his hands on either side of the students head, allowing no escape. Only when he did so he didn't come face to face with a young academy student he came face to face with the featureless white eyes of Hyuga Hinata.

Hinata let a high pitched squeak escape and backed up into the wall of the corridor looking extremely alarmed at Naruto's sudden presence and scared to death. Why Hinata was playing knock knock ninja he didn't know, she had never really been one to be involved in such games in the academy…perhaps she was making up for lost time?

"Hinata?" Naruto asked with a tilting of his head, "Why are you playing knock knock ninja? Aren't we a little…old for that?"

She looked absolutely mortified at the implication and blushed a furious red as Naruto lowered his arms to his side and simply gazed at her, waiting for an answer to why she had been knocking on his door at a time when most of Konoha was still tucked up in the warmth of their beds.

"I…um…well," Hinata stuttered, it seemed that Inuzuka Kiba hadn't rubbed off on Hinata and she was still as shy as she had been during the academy. Naruto remembered her offering to help him during the first part of the Chunnin exam, he had been almost sure that one of the chunnin who where watching would spot them talking and had been relieved when they hadn't.

"You know you're not very good at this game," Naruto replied thoughtfully to which Hinata lowered her head, her eyes gazing at the grubby corridor floor, "you shouldn't hang around when playing knock knock ninja…people get really annoyed when you play that game."

"No…but…I wasn't…" Hinata managed to stutter, still looking at the floor.

"You weren't?" Naruto repeated "then what where you doing? It was you who was knocking on my door right?"

Hinata gave the barest of nods, "I…I just wanted…to talk to you."

She had said in a tone barely above a whisper and Naruto had to strain to hear it. He couldn't imagine being so shy, it was almost painful to see how shy Hinata was.

"Then talk away Hinata-chan!"

Her blush, which had been reducing, returned full force and she pushed her forefingers together in the gesture that he had long since come to associate with the young Hyuga.

"I…" she paused and took a deep breath, like she was trying to regain her composure, "I just wanted to talk about your eyes!" she exclaimed in a rush.

Naruto studied her for a moment. She had said it in such a rush and so quickly that he had to take a moment to decipher what it was that she had said. He knew why she wanted to talk about his eyes, and he knew how she knew about his eyes when there should only be three other people in the whole of Konoha who knew his secret. Though he was now very aware that he lived in a village with an entire clan of people who could see through solid objects and evidently could see through his mask, though he didn't know why but he had thought that the seals that Ero-sennin had placed on it would not allow the Hyuga to see his face. Apparently though, the similarities between his mask and the Anbu masks ended at the style and seals to hold them in place. He did wonder why Jiraiya wouldn't have placed those seals on the mask, he knew about the Hyuga, perhaps he didn't know how to do it?

"Hinata…" Naruto started but quickly trailed off as he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the corridor, he turned his head towards the sound of the footsteps. It wasn't long before the source of them appeared; the tall figure of Nara Shikamaru came running into view.

Shikamaru looked like he had ran all the way from his family compound which Naruto thought was highly unusual, he had never seen Shikamaru run anywhere. His hair was slightly wind swept and his clothes tussled, the chunnin jacket he had received for his showing in the chunnin exams slightly skewed, and the fact he was up so early made Naruto think something was seriously wrong. Shikamaru was well documented for liking a leisurely lay in the mornings; something Naruto had heard Ino scold him for numerous occasions.

"Naruto," Shikamaru called, "The Hokage needs to speak with you its urgent!"

"I'm not supposed to be there for another forty five minutes!" Naruto whined as he turned to face Shikamaru who came to a gentle stop a couple of metres in front of him.

"No, its Sasuke," Shikamaru told Naruto, who instantly frowned at the name of his team mate, "he's gone Naruto, left the village."

"WHAT!"

"Come on," Shikamaru ushered "we've got to go speak with Tsunade-Sama."

"But I'm not dressed!" Naruto argued looking down at his shabby pyjamas, a fact that made Hinata flush a bright red for the third time and slump against the wall, her breathing becoming increasingly shallow.

"Do you think the Godaime will care? Come one!" Shikamaru told Naruto in a hurried fashion, Naruto decided he didn't like pushy Shikamaru and much preferred the lazy, sleepy Shikamaru he was used to.

"Let me just lock my door!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder as he bounced down the corridor towards his apartment door, and slamming it shut and locking it with a single key before running back towards Shikamaru, only not waiting for the dark haired boy to start running instead running straight past him leaving Shikamaru standing next to Hinata with a blank expression on his face as Naruto dashed down the corridor yelling over his shoulder.

"We'll talk about it later Hinata! Just don't say anything ok?"

Then the figure of Uzumaki Naruto disappeared down a set of stairs leaving Shikamaru to chase him, Hyuga Hinata lent against the wall recovering from what was her longest conversation with Naruto to date.

"That boy," Shikamaru sighed "is unbelievably troublesome."

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"You wanted to see me Tsunade–sama?" The tall bulky figure of Sarutobi Asuma asked as, for the second time in two days, he found himself standing in front of the Hokage's desk.

"I'm glad you came so early Asuma." Tsunade replied with a grateful nod of her head.

"I didn't have much choice;" Asuma replied sheepishly, "Kurenai would have killed me had I not gone with Jiraiya. Maybe you shouldn't send Jiraiya to people's houses."

"Kurenai didn't kill him did she?" Tsunade asked with a sigh, "he may be a perverted old letch but he does have his uses."

"Why Tsunade-chan," the unmistakeable voice of Jiraiya called from the windowsill where the legendry Sannin had emerged looking quite pleased that Tsunade was talking about him, "you've finally come to your senses and seen what women all over Konoha have been saying for years. You need some of Jiraiya."

Asuma shifted uncomfortably. Whilst Tsunade visibly looked like a women in her mid twenties, everyone knew she was over fifty as was Jiraiya, and to see the man who had looked after him on many occasion during his childhood, whilst his father was busy with his Hokage duties, put the 'moves' on to Tsunade was some he'd rather not see.

"When did you say you where leaving the village?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"Harsh, Tsunade, harsh." Jiraiya whined before perking up and looking at Asuma and giving the man a wink and saying, "you got yourself a keeper in that girl, Asuma."

Asuma felt his cheeks begin to heat up as Jiraiya talked about Kurenai in such a manner, it seemed no matter how much the two of them tried to keep there relationship a secret people seemed to know about it. Of course Jiraiya had caught Kurenai making a cup of coffee at ten to eight in the morning so there wasn't much of a defence that could be made. He just hoped none of the genin would find out, he dreaded to think what Yamanaka Ino would do with that information.

"Um, thank you Jiraiya-sama." Asuma replied quietly, keen not to have his fathers' former student talking about Kurenai like he was sure the toad sennin was thinking.

"I'm afraid we called you here for more serious business than your relationship with Kurenai," Tsunade informed the two men, "Our discussion yesterday, have you given it any thought?"

"I've thought of nothing else Tsunade-Hime." Asuma told the Hokage honestly.

"Your thoughts?" Tsunade asked curiously, Jiraiya had stayed near the window leaning casually against the wall and watching the exchange with interest.

"I'm not quite sure that you expect me to say," Asuma replied.

"Would you be willing? You're the only person who has access to them!" Tsunade informed him.

"Your about ten years to late." Asuma replied dully, "the shinobi I served with are dead."

There was a moment of silence as Asuma's revelation hung in the air, neither Sannin saying anything and he himself just stood there waiting for one of his father's students to make the next move.

"But the organisation is still alive." Tsunade stated simply.

"It is," Asuma agreed "but my affiliation with them ended ten years ago."

"You where a member of the twelve guardian ninja, Asuma." Tsunade replied, "You still have direct ties to the Daimyo, no matter how much your pretend you don't."

"Why the sudden interest in the twelve guardians?" Asuma asked, slightly bristled by Tsunade's bluntness. "The twelve operate under the direct control of the Daimyo with all due respect Tsunade-hime, you do not have much say in what happens with them."

"I know that," Tsunade replied tartly "But you are the sole survivor of the original elite force. You must have some…stroke with the Daimyo."

"The Daimyo is who he is," Asuma replied thinking about the grouchy old man whom he and the other eleven had protected with their lives, he doubted that the Daimyo would do whatever it was that Tsunade wanted, "he will do what he wants and nobody, not even the Hokage, will be able to get any favour from him."

"I am well aware of the policy our Daimyo has implemented with Konoha," Tsunade retorted, "I was however not thinking of me. If I remember right and the reports I have read are correct the Daimyo owes you a great debt."

Asuma felt his mouth go slack and hang open, what had happened all those years ago was supposed to have stayed a secret between himself and his father but apparently once again his old man had chosen his duties as Hokage over his duties as a father. Tsunade was correct he supposed the Daimyo did owe him a debt, he had after all been responsible for ending the plot of a coup d'etat that had split the original guardians and eventually led to the internal conflict between members, but it had ultimately come down to a fight between the revolting guardians and those fighting to defend the order. Only three had survived of the original twelve and only one of those had been of the revolting guardians, he supposed if Tsunade's logic was right the Daimyo also owed a debt to Chiriku, who had been fighting by his side during the conflict.

"In your mind," Asuma replied slowly "but we all know that the Daimyo's work under their own rulebooks, they don't have the same codes we shinobi do."

"But even so," Tsunade argued "you saved his life. That surely earns you some favour, you cannot deny that."

"Why the sudden interest in the twelve guardians?" Asuma asked, choosing to ignore Tsunade's statement and instead ask a question that had been bugging him since the topic of the twelve guardian ninja had been brought up by the two Sannin.

A look passed between Tsunade and Jiraiya, the latter giving a short nod to the Godaime, giving her permission to continue. Something he found odd considering it was Tsunade, not Jiraiya, who was Hokage. She shouldn't be taking orders from anybody even her fellow Sannin, the only people who where supposed to influence the Hokage were the elders, and an elder Jiraiya certainly wasn't.

"We wish to send a Genin to train under them." Tsunade informed him. Asuma couldn't help but snort at Tsunade's announcement, send a genin to train under the elite ninja guardians of the Daimyo. You didn't simply place a genin among the elite twelve, you only went if you where fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to receive an invitation.

"You can't just send a genin to train under the twelve," Asuma chuckled, "It's not some team you can mix and match until you get the best combination. It's an elite group of ninja hand picked by the Daimyo to protect him, you think for one minute he or any of the twelve will want a genin tagging along? They work as a team, they cannot have a weakness and a Genin would be a weakness no matter who it was."

"That may be," Tsunade argued "but there are circumstances that lead to him needing to be trained by the best."

"Then why are neither of you training him?" Asuma questioned "the twelve guardians are strong but none of them were or are in the league of two Sannin."

"We can't," Tsunade answered quickly "between my duties as Hokage and my need for Jiraiya to keep an eye on things outside of Konoha we can't train him. Even if the two of us didn't have duties to attend, we would only be able to train him so much."

"I don't understand?" Asuma asked. 'What could the guardians teach this unknown Genin that two of the legendry Sannin couldn't? '

"The guardians specialize in specific areas of ninjutsu," Tsunade informed him "they specialize in the use of elemental jutsu."

Asuma could see where she was going with this. The twelve guardians all specialized in one of the elemental forms of Chakra, the Daimyo had wanted two shinobi who where exceptionally skilled in one of the elements to minimise the threat of any attempts on his life. By having two shinobi who where masters of each individual elements he had the counter to most Ninjutsu, smart on the Daimyo's part and if the combination was right the team work between the twelve was almost unparalleled, the original twelve were a testament to that.

"I see," Asuma told Tsunade, "so this Genin…is to be trained in his elemental affinity?"

"Not quite." Tsunade answered again sending a side look to her old team mate, who had rather strangely stayed quiet so far during this meeting. The look seemed to have sparked some life in to Jiraiya who took over from where Tsunade had left off.

"What I'm about to tell you does not leave this room," Jiraiya told him with an authoritive tone in his voice. Asuma nodded as if it was a giving, "this is an S-class secret."

'S-class? This must be something of utter importance', a sense of pride swelled in the pit of Asuma's stomach at being included in something of such secrecy.

"Uzumaki Naruto has awakened a Dojutsu." Jiraiya announced. Asuma frowned, as far as he knew Uzumaki wasn't a name that inherited a bloodline and he definitely wasn't from either the Hyuga or Uchiha families. "He awakened the Rinnegan during our trip to find Tsunade."

Asuma frowned he'd never heard of the Rinnegan. He wasn't even aware Konoha had another Kekkei Genkai by the name of the Rinnegan, let alone it being a Dojutsu.

"And this involves me how?" Asuma questioned, he failed to see how anything relating to Uzumaki had anything to do with him. It wasn't like he was Naruto's sensei if anything shouldn't it be Kakashi here instead of him.

"The Rinnegan allows the holder to use all forms of Jutsu," Jiraiya informed him, "there are no restrictions on what the user can learn."

He was beginning to see why Jiraiya and Tsunade had informed him instead of Kakashi. Whilst Kakashi undoubtedly had thousands of jutsu at his disposal he had only mastered two elemental forms and could only use a third sparsely, if they sent Naruto to the guardians he would be getting trained by the ten best elemental users in the shinobi world.

"I see," Asuma told Jiraiya with a nod "but I'm afraid it doesn't make any difference. The twelve simply wouldn't accept training a Genin, like I said it's invite only."

"This is where you come in Asuma," Jiraiya replied, "We want you to take Naruto. Take him to the location of the Fire temple."

"And risk both of our deaths?" Asuma asked incredulously, "I'm lucky I am still alive. You think they'll just let two people wander into their temple and then just leave again? That temple is sacred, it's their home and where they train. It holds secrets not even I am stupid enough to talk about…you simply don't walk out of it alive, their secrets are too great."

"You could not persuade the Daimyo to let you train?" Jiraiya asked, "He owes you a life debt, even a Daimyo cannot argue with that."

"You want me to waste a debt of this magnitude on getting a Genin some additional training," Asuma questioned with an edge.

"I do not view it as a waste," Jiraiya replied, "Naruto is a shinobi of Konoha with a weapon in his arsenal which could greatly help Konoha in the future."

"You have other reasons for sending him away?" Asuma questioned, not liking the way that Jiraiya had spoken about Konoha's future. To him it sounded like the toad Sannin expected something bad to happen.

"His training is imperative," Jiraiya told Asuma with a sigh, "for both his own safety and for Konoha's."

"For Konoha's safety?" Asuma repeated looking at Jiraiya sceptically.

"In the years I have been tracking Orochimaru, I have heard of an organisation that began to be associated with his name. They where rumoured to be made up of Missing Nin's from various nations, who their leader is or who the other shinobi are I don't know. But when Naruto and I where about to leave to find Tsunade, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame of the seven swordsmen arrived looking for Naruto, there is only one reason they would be searching for Naruto."

"His dojutsu?" Asuma asked.

"No, he hadn't awoken it at this time. The only other reason anybody would search for Naruto is the Kyubi." Jiraiya replied sadly.

It didn't make sense to Asuma. Why would anybody be looking for the Kyubi? Everyone over the age of thirteen knew that the Kyubi was sealed by the most gifted seal master Konoha had ever produced, nobody, maybe not even Jiraiya could undo the Yondaimes seals. Was there any point in searching for the boy who contained it?

"So you're sending him away to avoid these missing nins finding him and to stop them from infiltrating Konoha anymore?" Asuma deduced. He had to admit it did make sense, if they where seriously searching for Naruto it wouldn't take them long to come back to Konoha to find the boy but if he was away, with only a few people knowing his location…

"It's one of the reasons the twelve guardian ninja is so appealing," Tsunade piped up, "nobody knows the location of the fire temple. Akatsuki would not be able to find him, and it'd allow Naruto a chance to train, for him to prepare for them."

It made sense but then, making sense didn't mean that people would agree with it. Whilst Asuma did agree that if this group of missing nins were searching for Naruto it was for the best to get him out of Konoha, and getting him to a place such as the fire temple was a good idea. But none of this changed the fact that the Daimyo would unlikely allow Naruto to be trained by the twelve.

Asuma was about to reply to the two Sannin when the door to the Hokage Office flung open revealing the form of Uzumaki Naruto. It appeared Shikamaru had succeeded in getting the young boy, though he appeared to be still in his Pyjamas, his feet where bare and dirty from no doubt running through Konoha, his hair was even more unruly than normal and his face still covered by that white mask he had been wearing since he returned with Tsunade.

"SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, his breathing short and shallow as he burst into the office his finger pointing accusingly at Tsunade, "Where the hell is Sasuke!"

Asuma saw Tsunade visibly wilt much like a dying flower would at the mention of the Uchiha's name. He knew why of course, the last Uchiha had left Konohagakure no Sato. All the Jonin had been used last night to try and locate the intruders that had arrived in Konoha, but nobody had been able to find them, it was only later in the early hours of the morning that they discovered whilst searching the Uchiha compound at the house which had previously held the young Uchiha, an uneaten meal sitting cold on his table, a half drunken glass of water beside it, clothes packed quickly and the entire house looked like a small tornado had hit it.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade told the boy "has defected from the village."

"WHAT!" Naruto screamed. "No way, there's no way Sasuke would do that."

"Kakashi trailed the scents of the four intruders to the Uchiha compound and then to the boarders of the fire country. Sasukes was with them." Tsunade told Naruto.

Asuma watched the boys head hang, it was impossible to know what the boy was thinking, his mask not only masking his face but the emotion he was no doubt feeling. Something that unnerved Asuma, he hated not being able to see people's faces, you could tell so much from seeing the expressions.

"He could have been forced," Naruto asked hopefully his voice full of desperation, "you said there were four of them! Not even Sasuke could over power four shinobi!"

"No," Tsunade informed Naruto a look of utmost regret on her face, "he left willingly, he even packed supplies."

"Then I'll go and get him back!" Naruto growled with fierce determination in his voice and a pump of his fist, "I'll bring him back even if I have to break his legs and drag him back!"

"You're wasting your time." Jiraiya stated simply from his position against the wall, "Sasuke left because he wanted to. Even if you did manage to bring him back he'd just leave again at the first chance your back is turned."

"You're wrong!" Naruto exclaimed turning his attention to the Sannin.

"Oh am I?" Jiraiya asked, "What would you have done if you caught up with him? Pleaded with him until you're blue in the face? Begged him on your knees? He chose to leave nothing you could do, would convince him not to go to Orochimaru's side, Trust me I know."

"But…we can't leave him with Orochimaru!" Naruto exclaimed.

"You must stop thinking about him as if he where your friend." Jiraiya told Naruto.

"HE IS MY FRIEND!" Naruto yelled and stamped his foot childishly.

"No he isn't," Jiraiya countered, not letting the kids anger affect him in the slightest "if he were he would never of fought you, tried to kill you. If he was your friend he would never have left with which ever shinobi Orochimaru sent to collect him."

"You don't know that!" Naruto said quietly, almost weakly, like he was struggling to believe it himself.

"I do," Jiraiya answered "you need to forget him, forget him fast, you have more important things to do than worry about Orochimaru and the Uchiha."

"Then I'll train so hard I can defeat Orochimaru and get Sasuke back and defeat anybody who attacks my precious people!"

This exclamation brought a snort from Jiraiya and a look of scepticism, "You think you'll get strong enough to beat Orochimaru under Kakashi? You can barely match Sasuke now…what makes you think you could beat a Sannin?"

"I…I can't…" Naruto stammered in an oddly hesitant moment from the boy who always seemed so self assured. "But I will, I'll train myself if I have to! If Kakashi won't train me seriously I'll train myself until I can protect all my precious people and Konoha! I'll be its greatest protector!"

"And just how do you plan on managing that?" Jiraiya asked.

"With my help."

Asuma hadn't known why he had said it. There was just something about listening to the boy proclaim he'd protect Konoha so passionately that it had reminded him of his own father's iron will to protect Konoha, an iron will that had led to his death. Perhaps this boy was worth calling in that debt from the Daimyo, perhaps this boy could protect Konoha.

He'd have to get the ball rolling. If he was going to train Naruto he wanted to do it properly, he didn't want to be marred into the same group as Kakashi. By the time he was finished with him Uzumaki Naruto would be a not be a shinobi to mess with. Not Orochimaru, not Akatsuki not anybody. He'd show the faith in the boy his father always had. Uzumaki Naruto would live up to his father's legacy.


	8. Chapter 8 The Daimyo

AN:- HELLO! Well First i'd like to apologise for the long wait. I'm not gonna offer you some weak excuse i'll just simply say that this chapter had me all torn up about how best to continue. I prevailed and managed to find a way that I was satisfied with to complete this chapter. I'd once again like to thank my beta Brain for continuing to make me look good and for offering me help when I was at a less with the chapter. I hope this helps move the story onwards, and I cant tell you how much i'm looking forward to writing the next few chapters ;). Hope you enojoy feel free to tell me what you think, I really do value each and every Review.

**Chapter 8 – Daimyo **

They had been travelling for nearly four hours and already Sarutobi Asuma was beginning to regret agreeing to the Godaimes plan to train the troublesome Uzumaki Naruto. Ever since they had left Konohagakure no Sato the blonde had done nothing but pester him to teach him new techniques and Asuma was already beginning to miss the passiveness of his own team ten. It was now safe to say that Asuma could see what Kakashi had been saying all these months, the boy had an unfaultable thirst for Ninjutsu something that would bode well if the boy was allowed to train under the twelve.

He couldn't say he had been particularly keen to take the mission when Tsunade and Jiraiya had first mentioned it. In fact he had come damn close to rejecting it but there was something about this boy that had made him want to help, when he had first returned from the Twelve guardians he could not understand his father's attachment to the boy but now, now he was beginning to see why. The boy was nothing but infectious.

There was just something about the boy that screamed that fate had bigger plans for him than to simply be an ordinary shinobi, if one could be ordinary with the Kyubi no Yoko sealed inside you. If he ever needed proof that Naruto was destined for things that few in Konoha could begin to comprehend it was the unveiling of the Rinnegan. Asuma had never seen anything like it, when Naruto had taken his ANBU style mask off in the Hokage's office he had been awed into silence. Of course he had heard of it but had always dismissed it as nothing more than a myth, but to see it in all its glory just metres in front of him had been inspiring.

The mythical words that followed the legend of the Rinnegan echoed through his mind as he stared into the metallic silver of Naruto's eyes, _the savoir or destroyer. _ He could now understand why Jiraiya and Tsunade where so keen for him to get the best training available to him, why they had pushed so hard for it to be him to adopt the role that any shinobi in Konoha would of thought Hatake Kakashi would have taken.

Hatake Kakashi had always been a strange one, as far as Asuma could remember, right back to their academy days. He'd always been a loner and a stickler to the rules, something which hadn't made him especially popular with the boys within there academy class, of course the girls didn't care and where utterly besotted by the aloof Kakashi (which again didn't help him win over the boys in their class).

Asuma had watched Kakashi rise through the ranks of Konoha's shinobi and had worked with him on numerous occasions and there was no doubt he was a great shinobi, it was as a person that Hatake Kakashi was lacking. The masked man sometimes made decisions that mystified the other jounin and often made him question whether his father was wise in letting the copy-cat ninja become a sensei. As far as Asuma could remember Kakashi's decision making had always been a little off right back to when he was a kid, everybody from their class had heard about Uchiha Obito's death and it was plain to see to all that it affected him greatly…still did now if the amount of time he spent at the Monument was anything to go by.

This was part of the reason why Asuma had been so reluctant to take Naruto on this training trip, the thought of leaving his own Genin team with Kakashi didn't sit well with him. He had seen how team seven had acted toward each other, after all that was one of the reasons he was traipsing over the fire country with an energetic blonde, and he wasn't keen to have his team taught by a man who had allowed his own to fall into such chaos.

Though he knew he couldn't exactly blame Kakashi for all of team sevens faults, the copy cat ninja could only work with what he was given and once again the Konoha graduation system had failed. Whilst it was tradition to place the highest scoring graduate with the lowest, sometimes it simply didn't work out and team seven was one of those times. His father had gotten the dynamics of team seven wrong, and whilst it was only one team, the past had proven that a team in the mould of team seven was liable to either kill each other or get killed.

He just hoped that perhaps Kakashi proved himself to be a capable teacher and would look after his team as he looked after his fellow Jonin's pupil. At least he had Kurenai to keep and eye on things if everything went pair shaped and out of everybody in Konoha, Kurenai was the one he knew he could rely upon the most.

It had broken his heart when he had to tell the red eyed women that he would be leaving indefinitely on a mission that he couldn't tell her about. He had seen the confusion and hurt in her eyes and he could only pray that she understood and, as selfish as this may seem, hope that she didn't find somebody else during his time away.

During all his years Sarutobi Asuma had never met a women like Yuhi Kurenai, it made him sad to say most Kunoichi followed the path that Mitarashi Anko did and whilst he was sure many Shinobi in Konoha lusted over the snake mistress, that type of…fervor wasn't appealing to him. No Kurenai was gentle, kind but assertive enough to put him in his place when she didn't agree with him, which happened a lot. It was this nature that made Kurenai such a good Jonin sensei; he'd seen how she was with the young Hyuga, it was almost sisterly the way that Kurenai looked out for the exceptionally shy little girl.

Team eight was an interesting one from what Asuma had gathered. Each member part of one of Konoha's most prominent clans and each member having a trait which made them have the potential to be an excellent tracking unit, between the Hyuga Byakugan, the Inuzuka's dogs and the Aburame's insects it made for one very gifted tracking team. Though he hadn't said anything to Kurenai (he had learned quickly not to criticise her team, he still had a sore back from sleeping on the couch) to him it seemed that team eight lacked a significant Ninjutsu user. He liked to think, though perhaps he was a little bit biased, team ten was the perfect mix. They had Shikamaru to immobilize there enemies, Ino to find out information and Choji was the heavy hitter. The perfect team.

"Woah!"

Asuma was broken out of his musings at Naruto's sudden exclamation. The masked boy had come to a stop a few metres in front of him, at the top of the steep hill that they had been scaling for the past half an hour and had he not known exactly where they were he would have been more than a little worried at the sudden stop by his new apprentice.

When Asuma reached Naruto's side he could see why the blonde had stopped, the familiar sight of the Daimyo's rather extravagant estate came into view at the valley's bottom. The daimyo's estate was like a small hidden village, a large perimeter wall having been built around a building that could only be described as a castle putting even the Hokage mansion to shame. There were a few other buildings scattered within the boundary that they could see from their position, no doubt for servants and other employers of the Fire Daimyo, to the far side of the estate a small forest sat hiding if Asuma recalled the twelve guardian ninja's temple.

"Is this it?" Naruto asked excitedly turning to look at Asuma, who was once again greeted by the horrible white mask that was quickly becoming hated.

"Yup," Asuma replied, casting the estate another glance, "this will hopefully be your home for the foreseeable future."

"WHOOP!" Naruto gave an enthusiastic punch to the air. Asuma gave a smile, at least the boy was enthusiastic he'd need it if he could convince the Daimyo to allow him to train with his elite guard.

"Come on Naruto lets go," Asuma told the boy walking slowly down the gravely path of the valley that he knew from personal experience would lead down to the entrance into the Daimyo's estate.

Both Konoha shinobi wandered down the path without sharing a word. Naruto was no doubt excited and wanting to get down for training, if the constant jabbering that he had had to endure on the trip down was anything to go by. Asuma himself couldn't deny that he was looking forward to being able to put his skills against the best; he'd like to think he could still match the new guardians but somehow he had a feeling he was in for a shock. Perhaps this training mission wouldn't just be beneficial for Naruto.

"Well, well, well," A familiar voice called out, a voice that Asuma hadn't expected to hear ever again, "look what the cat dragged in."

Asuma couldn't believe his eyes, stood in front of the gate that permitted entry to the Daimyo's court was a single figure, the silhouette of his shadow scaling the large white bricked wall.

"Long time no see, Chiriku." Asuma replied to his old friend. Chiriku allowed a smile to grace his face, his bushy black eyebrows remained the only hair on his head though his face was now marred with more age lines than the last time Asuma had seen him. His clothes where a lot better than the last time they had been in each others company, Chiriku's robe wasn't torn and dirty as it had been during the last time they had met, now it was immaculate and almost uniform like.

"What brings you here of all places old friend?" Chiriku asked coming away from his post to shake Asuma's hand, giving the bearded man a clap on the back as he did so. "I must say you're looking much better than the last time I saw you."

Asuma had to smile at that. The last time he had saw Chiriku he wasn't exactly looking healthy, in fact if he remembered rightly it was Chiriku who said he looked like he had contracted the plague. He couldn't blame him of course personal hygiene hadn't exactly been top of his list of priorities back in those days.

"What the love of a good women will do to you." Asuma replied with a grin, seeing Naruto shoot him a glance.

"Settled down huh?" Chiriku asked with a grin.

"Thinking about it," Asuma replied with a steady nod, "so what are you doing here Chiriku? I never expected to run into you here."

"The same could be said about you," Chiriku replied, "thought you'd gone back to ordinary life? What happened get bored?"

Asuma took a moment to think of the best way to tell his old friend enough to satisfy his curiosity but without giving away the mission. The appearance of Chiriku was unexpected and slightly troublesome having one of the three surviving original guardians did add a little bit more interest to this mission.

"I am here to see the Daimyo," Asuma informed his old comrade, "the Godaime Hokage wishes for a special Genin of Konoha to train under the elite."

A frown appeared on Chiriku's face, causing his forehead to crease and his impossibly bushy eyebrows to slant diagonally.

"You should know that nobody trains with the twelve," his old friend said, "and the Daimyo will not take well with the Godaime Hokage thinking that she can force him to allow it."

Asuma winced a little. He had said the exact same thing, perhaps it would change his old friends opinion if he where to show him what laid underneath the mask Naruto wore but he had been under strict instructions by both Sannin to keep Naruto's Kekkei Genkai a secret unless absolutely vital.

"I assure you old friend it is of utmost importance that I see the Daimyo," Asuma could see that Chiriku wasn't relenting, not that he should have expected him to. Chiriku had always been a very stubborn Ninja who was not easily convinced, "you know I would not ask you Chiriku if it was not important. For old time sakes?"

"I can get you into to see him Asuma," Chiriku answered with a sigh, "but I can't promise he'll agree with you demands."

"That's all I ask." Asuma replied with a nod and Chiriku gave an annoyed tut before turning toward the gate and allowing his chakra to flair around the latch causing it to swing open with a click allowing them access into the courtyard.

The courtyard was massively different to how Asuma remembered. Last time he'd been here it had been a wreck, big craters missing from the ground where various jutsu had struck, and if he remembered rightly a small portion of the castle that the grounds where designed around had been burning. Now though it was like that epic battle which had killed nine of his comrades had never happened, the craters were filled in and made to be part of this beautiful garden, perhaps the pond that sat at the bottom on the grounds was the only remnant of the battle. Tall hedges now made an unofficial fence around the garden; a few statues littered the courtyard and an apple tree sat in the centre with a few stone benches under it.

"Bit different huh?" Chiriku said to Asuma who could only nod as he, Naruto by his side, followed his old friend up the elaborate stone stairs and up to the large, polished wooden door. Chiriku wasted no time in opening it and allowing them all entrance inside, the inside of the house was exactly how Asuma had imagined it to be. Paintings adorned the walls of people, who he assumed were the Daimyo's family, there was an impressive chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a large staircase sat just metres to the side of them which disappeared up to the next floor.

"If you'll just wait here please whilst I go an alert the Daimyo to your presence." Chiriku informed them before wandering off to the door which sat underneath the large staircase, leaving the two Konoha shinobi on their own. It didn't take long once Chiriku had disappeared for Naruto to slowly begin to edge away from him no doubt intending on having a look around this castle, thankfully he had seen enough of the boy to anticipate this and grabbed hold of the back of the boys orange jumpsuit.

"Where do you think your going?" Asuma asked, the boy turned around and Asuma imagined he was looking sheepish underneath the mask.

"I just wanted to look around." The boy offered meekly with no real conviction behind his words.

"This is the Daimyo's home Naruto," Asuma told the boy trying to implore to him how important a place this was, "you must be on your best behaviour if this is going to work."

Naruto sighed and seemed to begrudgingly nod in understanding, taking his place by his side with his head slightly hung.

"I'll speak to the Daimyo first," Asuma informed Naruto, thinking it best that he spoke to the man first. Having Naruto meet the Daimyo could be…well disastrous, "You stay out here and don't move!"

Naruto tutted "Jeez Asuma-sensei, have some faith! I'm not going to do anything, this is the Daimyo's home!"

It would be a lot more convincing and comforting for Asuma had he not seen Naruto constantly call his father, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, old man. If Naruto could disrespect one of, if not, the strongest ninja in the village on a regular basis then he could very well be capable of insulting the Daimyo. And that wouldn't be good for them or Konoha.

They waited in silence for a couple of minutes. Asuma looking at the various pictures which donned the walls, they where quite interesting and some where obviously very old, during his time as a guardian he had never once in all the six years stepped foot in this palace.

The door beneath the staircase creaked open and the bald head of Chiriku poked out, he gave Asuma the barest of nods and the bearded man quickly left the young boy standing just metres into the palace as he strode across the entrance hall and towards the small door where Chiriku had poked his head from.

"Do me a favour Chiriku," Asuma whispered as he walked past his old colleague and into the Daimyo's office, "keep an eye on him; he's a bit…boisterous."

Chiriku nodded and allowed Asuma entry to the office whilst stepping out of the door frame himself, Asuma could only assume he had moved closer to Naruto to keep and eye on him.

"It's been a long time Sarutobi Asuma." The old, croak like voice that Asuma new to belong to the Daimyo of the fire country. The daimyo was an elderly man, easily older than his father had been, his wrinkled hands pursed on his desk the fingers steepled together, the characteristic robes of the Daimyo where in place, his familiar hat hiding his eyes and the majority of his face allowing Asuma to only see the mans pale, thin lips which where framed by a perfectly trimmed white goatee beard.

"My lord," Asuma greeted with a bow of his head. He knew that back in Konoha he was known for being rather…disrespectful, known for dropping the suffixes of respected peoples names but here he had to be. If he wasn't he'd be dead, the Daimyo was very old school. Believing that respect to the proper people was key to keeping the fire country from anarchy. An old school of thought but one that the Daimyo believed in never the less.

"How may I be of help to you Sarutobi?" the Daimyo asked, leaning forward over his desk a little, looking curiously at him.

"I…" Asuma started before pausing and taking a minute to think. He had to word this carefully. "I'm here with a request from the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade."

The Daimyo leaned back from his hunched position, allowing for the first time for Asuma to see his face. He had changed from the last time he had come face to face with the man; his face was more aged, age lines which had previously not been there now crinkled on his face. His eyes where still the same pale blue they had been and his eyebrows where now pure white and of a thickness which rivalled Maito Gai.

Asuma could almost see the cogs' working in the elderly mans head. Asuma knew that the Daimyo, whilst he ruled the entire fire country, he preferred to let the hidden village rule it self and not get involved in it. The only thing that he really got involved in, like many of the other Daimyo, was the shinobi contests like the Genin exam.

"A request from Tsunade?" The daimyo repeated slowly, "She's going to be trouble that one. A request already and barely a week into her new position, I didn't have this kind of trouble with your father."

Asuma blinked owlishly at the friendly tone that the Daimyo was using. The daimyo was known for being a man who could inspire fear within even the bravest of shinobi, and whenever a ninja from Konoha had to deal with the elderly man it was stressed upon them to be as diplomatic in their dealings with the man as possible. After all it'd do no good to anger the man who had power that made the Hokage look like a toddler.

"A request though?" The Daimyo repeated slowly, "what type of request?"

"The Hokage wishes for a genin student to be placed with the twelve guardians." Asuma said slightly tentatively watching the elderly man across from him to try and gage his reaction.

"Unusual," The Daimyo pondered bringing up his right hand to trace the outline of his trimmed goatee beard as he looked at Asuma in a calculating manner, "it is not normally the Kage that offers up it's shinobi but more me selecting those who would best serve me, the boy with you is not the young man I sent the letter to is he?"

Asuma shook his head negatively. In the hustle and bustle of the last few days he had completely forgotten about Shikamaru getting a letter all but offering him a place amongst the twelve. He knew that the young Nara heir had impressed not only his fellow Konoha shinobi in the genin exams, and apparently had made a lasting impression on the Daimyo.

"So who is this boy?" the Daimyo asked, "and why does the Hokage deem him important enough to send here…"

"She feels the standard placement of genin into teams wouldn't benefit this genin and would hold his development back." Asuma answered quickly thinking on his feet.

"Well then why not assign him as the apprentice to a respected shinobi?" the daimyo asked with raised eyebrows.

"There was nobody available," Asuma lied, hoping that he had done so convincingly.

"Rubbish." Asuma mentally cursed a string of swearwords which would of made Mitarashi Anko blush. He should have known better than to lie to this old man. The Daimyo had an uncanny knack of being able to detect when someone was lying going right back to his early days in charge, he was nothing if not a good judge of character. "Sources say that the Toad sennin has returned to Konoha? He has taken apprentices before, and if Tsunade felt _your _genin would be wasted in a team who better to teach him than one of the strongest in Konoha?"

Asuma sighed; he knew that the chances of getting the Daimyo to blindly agree where slim but he hadn't expected things to deteriorate so quickly. Perhaps Jiraiya, Tsunade and himself had underestimated the allusive Daimyo.

"Ok…" Asuma sighed, "I'll tell you the truth. Uzumaki Naruto has awakened an ancient Dojutsu and is in need of training in the elemental arts. Nobody in Konoha can teach him, it's why the Godaime wishes for Naruto to train under the twelve."

A smirk appeared on the Daimyo's elderly face as Asuma finished answering the reason as to why he had turned up at the Daimyo's residence without giving any prior warning. The smirk puzzled him, was the Daimyo smirking because he was finally getting the truth? He'd of thought that Daimyo would have been angry that Konoha dare hide this sort of information from the most powerful man in the fire country.

"You always did have a good sense of humour, Asuma." The daimyo informed him with a slight chuckle.

"Excuse me?"

"You do not need to make up some fantasy story to convince me," The daimyo told Asuma "I haven't forgotten who you fought for all those years ago. I gave Chiriku a job when he had no where else to go, for you…I will allow your student to train under my guards until you deem him at a suitable level to return to Konoha."

Asuma couldn't help but gape with an open mouth at the Daimyo. Clearly they had all underestimated the loyalty that the Daimyo still felt for him defending him and his family, who'd of thought the best way to getting him to agree was actually to tell him the truth…not that he believed a word of it.

"On one condition," The daimyo announced, before even hearing what it was Asuma nodded at this moment in time not really caring about what the Daimyo would ask of him. All that mattered was that he had accepted to let Naruto train under his guard, "that you stay around to test out my current guards? I feel they have gotten a little slack of late."

Asuma grinned; the thought of proving himself against the current chosen twelve was something he was hoping to get out of this training trip. He had no doubt it'd be difficult there was a large difference between being a Konoha shinobi and being one of the Daimyo's shinobi. Well he had how ever long it took for Naruto to master the elements to get himself back into the shape he had once been in.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The bald figure of Chiriku walked slowly toward him, eying him with a slight look of distrust. The door that led to the Daimyo closed with a soft click leaving just Naruto and Asuma's old friend alone in the hall of the Daimyo. Asuma's words of not moving echoed in his ears as he cast a quick glance around the hallway, this was an intriguing house…and he'd never really been one to do as he was told. If Asuma didn't want him exploring the house then he shouldn't have left him alone…unless…this was one of those ninja things where they said they wanted you to do one thing but meant for you to do another?

Making his mind up that being in the Daimyo's house was too good an opportunity to miss, Naruto turned his attention back to Chiriku.

"Excuse me," Naruto asked gaining the bald mans attention "can you show me where the toilet is?"

"Follow me." Chiriku gave him a suspicious look before turning on his heel and leading Naruto up the flight of stairs and along the richly decorated corridor, past numerous doors all of which Naruto tried desperately to strain his neck and eyes to see into, before coming to a stop outside a rather unassuming door. Naruto opened the door and stepped into the toilet, never having any intention of actually going, as the door was swinging closed Chiriku placed his foot between the door and the frame stopping the door from closing.

"I'm not going to be able to go with you watching!" Naruto exclaimed over his shoulder and was glad when, with a sigh, Chiriku closed the door.

Forming the no second natured cross with his fingers Naruto whispered "Kage Bushin no Jutsu."

Instantly a perfect copy of him appeared to his side. Naruto decided it was perhaps more beneficial if he sent the clone back with Asuma's friend so he could make more clones if he was to get caught.

Hiding behind the door he sent out the clone to greet Chiriku and walk back to the place they had been stood whilst waiting for Asuma to finish his meeting with the Daimyo. When Naruto saw that both his clone and Chiriku where back down in the entrance hall, Naruto created several more clones of himself filling the bathroom with orange clad, masked copies of himself.

"Right," he ordered. He knew that it wasn't everyday that somebody got the opportunity to snoop around the Daimyo's house, "you lot are to spread out over the house and search for anything you think could help us. We'll know if anybody finds anything."

Just as Naruto turned his back to open the door and release his clones upon the house a sudden thought struck him and he turned back to his carbon copies, giving them a look that a parent would give a naughty child.

"And for goodness sake please don't do anything stupid." Naruto grumbled. Remembering on some occasions the daft things his clones had done when they had been left to their own devices.

"Us?" one of Naruto's clones piped up "Do something stupid? Never!"

Naruto sighed and turned his back on his clones hoping to god they didn't do anything stupid in the Daimyo's house and opened the door stepping out and watching his clones dash off into different directions. He just hoped he found something worth while and with that thought, Naruto wandered down a richly decorated corridor casting a wiry eye at the various paintings as he looked for a room to start his search in.


	9. Chapter 9 The Jiraiya arc

_**The Jiraiya arc**_** – Chapter 9 – Nomadic ninja **

Three days it had taken him to leave the leave the fire country. Three long days of travelling from small village to small village before the boarder of the fire country had come into view. After all the times that he had left the fire country it still didn't get any easier to leave his country or his village behind but Jiraiya knew that unlike all the other times he had left the village this time it truly was important.

The previous times he had left the village had mostly been to simply satisfy his own curiosity. As a child he had been told of the exotic lands that made up the Shinobi world and had often daydreamed of being able to explore them so naturally when he reached a rank of relative important he had gotten permission from his sensei (who just so happened to be the Sandaime Hokage now) to leave the village and explore those exotic lands he had heard so much about.

He had travelled to most of the shinobi nations; stayed in many different villages all with their own unique customs and traditions but none of them had made an impression upon him like Amergakure had done. Whilst he had been travelling he had been called back by the Sandaime to aid in the second great shinobi war and wasn't ashamed to say that he viewed his teams involvement as the turning point of the war. If it had not been for team Senju reforming it was fairly certain that nobody could of stopped Hanzo, even though technically they hadn't beaten Hanzo they had fought him to a stalemate and that was enough for Hanzo to end Amergakure no Sato's involvement in the second great shinobi war.

Though Jiraiya seriously doubted it was just because the three future Sannin that Hanzo had withdrawn. The war on a whole had battered Amergakure and the village had become nothing more than a wasteland by the time he and his team mates had arrived, their battle had done nothing to help the village as they, between the four of them, had probably done the same amount of, if not more, damage than the entire war had.

It was then, as himself, Tsunade and Orochimaru had been walking back to those remaining of the Konoha force that had been sent as their back up that they met them. Those three little children who had been orphaned by the war and had practically grown up in the ruins that remained of their once proud village. Jiraiya could still see their faces; Yahiko's full of determination as he asked him to spare his food, Konan's angelic face peaking out from behind a slab of rock and gazing admiringly as Yahiko approached them and little Nagato standing in the shadows paying no attention to them at all.

Even now he didn't know why he stayed with them. Jiraiya hadn't known of Nagato's Rinnegan at that time, hadn't known that Nagato was perhaps the child of the prophecy. Tsunade and Orochimaru had called him soft, weak at the time, looking after three children he barely knew but that hadn't matter to him, he just wanted to help these children who had been orphaned due to his villages actions survive.

Jiraiya had never planned on staying for as long as he had. He hadn't even planned teaching them Jutsu but when Konan had come crying into the hut he had built for them to live in, he had gone to help the two little boys, who had apparently tried going fishing to make him breakfast, only to find the unconscious form of Yahiko next to the crying figure of Nagato and the dead body of an Iwa shinobi to the side of them.

It was here that for the first time in the months that he had looked after the three young children that he saw Nagato's eyes. Normally the little red haired boy had his fringe covering his eyes but in the struggle his hair had become messed up revealing his wide panic filled eyes. It was then that Jiraiya saw the violet concentric ringed eyes that Nagato possessed.

It was then, knowing of the gift Nagato possessed, that he decided to train them in the art of ninjutsu, the prophecy the great toad sage had once told him echoing in his ears as he trained them. All three of them where gifted Ninja's each with their own skills and whilst Jiraiya trained them he was always keen to try and see what Nagato's limit was.

Whatever the young boys limit had indeed been, Jiraiya had never found out. Everything thing Jiraiya had asked him to learn he mastered. It was quite unnerving to see somebody master various Ninjutsu with such ease and in some cases even create his own, a remarkable skill for the best of shinobi let alone a child.

It was three years later that Jiraiya judged them at a level that they where capable of living and surviving on their own. And they where capable of surviving, as the years passed stories of three young shinobi rising in Ame reached back to Konoha and despite his curiosity he managed to resist the temptation to investigate these stories. Then the stories he had been hearing stopped. It was like they disappeared off the face of the earth, rumours of their death even began to circulate.

Jiraiya didn't believe that for a second. There was no way Nagato would have let anything happen to either Konan or Yahiko and the same went for both of them too. It would have had to take a very special shinobi to be able to kill any of them and he doubted there was anybody save the Sannin and Hanzo who could have done it, and even then it would not have been easy.

Jiraiya had travelled to the boarders of the rain country in hope of speaking with Hanzo. He hadn't been to Ame since leaving Nagato and the others but from what he had heard from various sources, including Tsunade, about the state of which Amegakure no Sato was in. It was widely reported the hidden village was in a state of civil war, of course nobody could really confirmed or deny this as Amegakure had adopted a policy of isolation after the second great shinobi war and it wasn't exactly welcoming of foreign shinobi.

Amegakure was unlike the great shinobi villages as it didn't possess a Kage instead it was ruled by Sanshōuo no Hanzō and had been for more than half a century. He was perhaps the sole reason none of the great shinobi nations had tried to assert their power over the small rain country, a fight with Hanzo was not something anybody wanted.

However if the rumours coming out of Amergakure where correct there wasn't just one person taking on Hanzo there was apparently an entire faction within the village hidden in the rain trying to knock Hanzo of his perch. Something that Jiraiya was sure wouldn't be easy, Hanzo had a grip on Amegakure that put even the Daimyo's to shame.

Jiraiya ideally wondered as he clambered out of his small one man sized boat, dropping the ore into it as he climbed up onto the riverbank which side of this 'civil' war his former students were on, if they were on one at all. The river he had been travelling on was one he knew to travel through the hidden village of the rain but he had refrained from continuing down the course of the river knowing it probably best to enter the village within traditional means. After all this wasn't an infiltration mission.

Climbing up the bank of the river Jiraiya got his first view of Amergakure in nearly forty years. It had certainly changed, Jiraiya could see that and he hadn't even stepped inside the village walls yet. The village was surrounded by very similar brick walls to Konoha which no doubt boarded the parameter of the hidden village, poking out above the incredibly high walls where a series of tall buildings and chimney pipes all billowing tall towers of smoke into the sky. To his left Jiraiya could see a few pipes spilling out of the large perimeter wall and down the river bank before ducking down into the river water, Jiraiya guessed that that explained the slightly yellowish tint the river water took.

Walking towards the large perimeter wall the smell of smoke hit Jiraiya like a tonne of bricks and made the white haired man cough rather violently. The wall whilst very similar to the outpost that enclosed Konohagakure no Sato however didn't have a large oak door which allowed access to large objects into the village, Amegakure however had nothing more than a small door carved through the wall, only large enough to fit a single man though.

Spotting no guards or any sign of any shinobi guarding the entrance Jiraiya tentatively made his way toward the entrance to the hidden village, aware that at any moment the villages' shinobi could spring out, so he kept himself ready for any sudden developments. For a country that was apparently in the midst of a civil war it didn't seem particularly active.

As Jiraiya walked through the small corridor like entrance he got to see just how much the village hidden in the rain had changed in the years he had been absent. Gone was the rather barren landscape that was dotted with small villages within the wall of the hidden village itself, it had previously reminded Jiraiya of the way the shinobi world had been before the building of the various hidden villages where the ninja world was made up of nothing but clans.

Now though it had gone from being a barren wasteland to a rich industrial urbanised city filled with tall skyscraper type buildings, flashing lights and long cables hanging from the various satellites that sat on top of the buildings. There was a faint hum that seemed to echo throughout the village due to the sheer amount of electricity the village was pumping to keep on the hundreds of lights Jiraiya could see from his position of just inside the village walls.

Some of the buildings that Jiraiya could see had large chunks missing, some were even crumbling to pieces clearly having suffered too much damage to keep standing upright. The ground was covered in the broken glass, from the signs that had been broken in whatever battle had taken place here. It was the first true sign of any type of battle taking place within the walls.

It was still rather odd that Jiraiya hadn't encountered anybody. He was beginning to have a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right here, in a village which by all accounts seemed to be based on industry he was sure that there should have been some people around, if not shinobi then civilians. What was bothering Jiraiya most however wasn't the lack of people within the city it was the lack of guards to greet him, what type of village just allowed anybody to waltz into it?

Jiraiya slowly and with great caution began to wander the rubble filled streets of Amegakure and towards the centre of the village where he knew the great lake to be. Looking for any sign of life within this village, Jiraiya knew that searching for his former students would be similar to searching for a needle in a haystack. He didn't even know if they still lived in Amegakure, it was possible even though slightly unusual, that they had relocated to another less known village.

The great lake that the river Jiraiya had used to get to Amergakure fed into sat in the middle of the village with the tall towering buildings surrounding it and what only Jiraiya could assume was the remains of a bridge that had once arched over the river completing the circular shape of village. The bridge however was only three quarters complete, the middle section of the bridge having been lost to the river leaving the circular shape of the village broken.

As Jiraiya stared out across the lake, remembering the times Nagato had used a small lightening jutsu to kill the fish which used to inhabit this lake, small droplets of rain began to descend from the darkened clouds that seemed to permanently hover above the village. It was not uncommon for it to rain in Amergakure and in the three years he had lived there it had rained countless times and for many of the people it didn't impact there lives.

Deciding that if he was to start anywhere then his search for his former pupils should probably start with Hanzo, if anybody was going to know where they were it was more than likely going to be the Kage like ruler. Back when Jiraiya had previously lived in Amergakure Hanzo had lived in a small, almost, castle like building right in the centre of the village being effectively surrounded by the various smaller tribes that inhabited the walls of the village. Now though, Hanzo could live in literally any of the buildings that he had seen as he walked towards the lakeside, none of them even remotely resembled Hanzo's previous place of residence.

In some ways it was comforting to see a Village which by all accounts had been decimated by enemy shinobi, and in some cases even allied shinobi forces, could be rebuilt even if it was in such a way that the original village had long since been lost. Whilst he himself thought that the route that Hanzo had gone down whilst rebuilding his village had been somewhat extreme and rather hazardous, it had obviously been rather effective even if it was vulgar on the eyes and other senses. Jiraiya could only hope that if he had to spend some prolonged time here searching for his one time pupils that he would become de-sensitised to the horrific smell of smoke and that excessive humming noise which was starting to give him a headache of epic proportions.

As Jiraiya turned his back to the lake and began to slowly walk back through the streets a movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to stop. It had been the barest of movements, the briefest flash of colour but it had been there. The first sign of life that Jiraiya had seen since he had entered the village, quite what it was Jiraiya wasn't entirely sure for the second he looked in the direction the flash of movement had come from there was nothing just the darkness of the exposed interior of just one of the decrepit buildings he had walked past.

Walking purposely toward the building, having every intent on searching the building for whomever or whatever it was he had just seen. However the moment Jiraiya began to walk towards the building a loud thud echoed from behind him, causing him to whirl around at the sudden sound. There off to his right was a pile of broken rock, it would take a million guesses on Jiraiya's part to know what had once stood in it's place, dust was raising into the air and a few rocks where rolling down the pile, a small dent was in the top of the pile indicating to him that someone had been stood there…_watching him. _

An unnerving feeling rippled through Jiraiya. This was not a position that he was used to being in. He had very rarely in his shinobi career been on the back foot, he was the person who pursues not the person who got pursed.

Was this the same person he had seen in the building? Was it two people? Working together to trap him? Had it even been a person? It could have been an animal of some sort…

Jiraiya slowly brought his hand up to his hip, dipping his fingers into the pouch that held his kunai keen to not anger whatever it was that was undoubtly watching him. The last thing he wanted was to make whoever it was that was watching feel like he was about to attack, backing a shinobi into a corner was never a good thing and could lead to very volatile situations.

As Jiraiya walked along the street, rotating slowly to get a view of all the possible angles of attack, he still couldn't see anybody. He didn't know if they where still following him or where they where hiding. The only clue he had that they were indeed still following him was the occasional sign; pattering footsteps, falling rubble and the occasional whispering that echoed through the street loud enough to just let him know that they where still there, almost like they where toying with him.

Jiraiya took a step out from the small street he had taken to the lakeside, getting once again back onto one of the main roads in Amergakure, when the sound of gravel crunched behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck instantly stood on end as he waited for the sound of the force leaving the gravel but it didn't come. Who ever had just landed behind him hadn't left like before, they where still stood behind him. Turning slowly, his hand now griping a Kunai ready to fling it at his target at the first sign of danger, he came face to face with the man he assumed had been stalking him.

Jiraiya didn't know what he expected from an Ame shinobi but this man didn't fit the bill. He had probably expected something similar to Hanzo, tall, broad and powerful looking complete breathing mask to allow them to excel in water combat, however all of that was missing. The man who stood in front of him was of average height, a couple of heads shorter than himself, rather lean with a mop of dark brown hair and similar shaded eyes. His face bore only the hint of a scar across his lips and was otherwise unblemished unless you counted a slightly crooked nose as a blemish.

The man said nothing, made no move to reach into the Shuriken pouch that was strapped to his left bicep instead was apparently quite happy to just continue to stare at him with an almost morbid fascination, leaving it up to Jiraiya to make the first move.

"Who are you?" Jiraiya asked, his voice was quiet but carried the distance between them well.

The man didn't respond, his lips curling into a vicious smirk.

"Where is everybody? Is this village abandoned?" Jiraiya asked again. This time the man standing in front of him laughed a wheezing almost painful laugh, his eyes now focusing at a point just over Jiraiya's shoulder.

"You will find," A new voice announced from behind the aged toad sennin making Jiraiya stiffen. Before his eyes numerous shinobi emerged out of every place you could imagine, some emerged from the rubble piles covered in soot, others from the darkness of the decapitated buildings whilst some simply appeared on the roof tops. All of them stepped forward with the grace and poise of a well trained assassination unit, "that he cannot answer you. None of my followers can. They do not need voices not anymore; the only voice they need is mine. My wishes are after all there own wishes."

Jiraiya turned his back to the still smirking man who had first stepped forward, feeling hundreds of pairs of eyes watching his every movement. He let the Kunai drop back into its pouch knowing that any attempt to attack would result in this small army being brought down upon him, and that was something to great even for the great Jiraiya. As he completed his turn a wave of relief washed over him as he stared into the eyes of a familiar face.

"Welcome Jiraiya, may I ask what you're doing in Amegakure?"


	10. Chapter 10 crumbling dynasty

**AN:- Hi guys heres the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Would have been up sooner but was having issues with the document uploader. Once again would like to thank you for all your reviews I gotten a lot more reviews than I could have ever imagined. And thanks my beta who minimises my mistakes and makes this into a readable peice of fiction. - Nova out. **

**Chapter 10 – Crumbling dynasty**

"Welcome Jiraiya, may I ask what your doing in Amegakure?" The figure which was unmistakably Hanzo asked.

The years hadn't been kind to the ruler of Amegakure, the once bulky powerful looking man who had managed to inspire a small nation with nothing more than his presence was now gone. In front of him stood a tall, withered old man whose face was still hidden underneath the same metallic breathing mask it had been all those years ago. The only part of the mans face which was visible was his small strange hawk like yellow eyes that where surrounded by heavy black bags, indicating a lack of sleep. From Jiraiya's point of view he could see a few stray strands of hair that were pure silver, a stark contrast from the jet black hair he remembered from the last time they had met.

"I'm here for myself," Jiraiya answered slowly; "this isn't Konoha business."

"I should hope not," Hanzo replied looking directly at Jiraiya with a calculating look in his tired eyes, "the other villages are aware of our policy for their envoys."

Jiraiya frowned, "I wasn't aware of Amergakure having such a policy?"

"That's because we don't." Hanzo snarled instantly, making Jiraiya blink in shock. The calm and composed manner that he had been addressed in just moments before had vanished in an instant replaced with a viciousness that reminded Jiraiya just how he had met Hanzo in the first place. The man's answer left Jiraiya with no doubt how Hanzo dealt with the five great shinobi villages sending their own Shinobi into his village and he'd bet his drinking fund it wasn't pretty.

"Come Jiraiya," Hanzo ordered, turning his back on both Jiraiya and the small army that had appeared in the ruins, "I'm sure we have much to discuss. The rest of you keep an eye out, if the rain is any indication they'll no doubt be here soon."

Jiraiya frowned, how could the rain be an indication? Perhaps father time hadn't just affected the way Hanzo looked.

"You don't let anybody into the village," Hanzo continued before Jiraiya could question him, "be it man, women or child. You kill on sight."

Jiraiya looked wild-eyed at the man who had given him his shinobi title. The rumours that had circulated Hanzo after the great shinobi war had been numerous but none of which had ever demonstrated this bloody thirsty side which he was being privileged to.

Various nods came at Hanzo's order and the people who had immerged from all over the place began to retreat back into their hiding place leaving just Jiraiya and Hanzo standing in the decrepit ruins of the village. The rain that had previously been drizzling was now beginning to fall harder, causing Hanzo to look briefly toward the heavens before looking over his shoulder at Jiraiya.

"You better come quickly, Jiraiya. You don't want to be here when the rain stops." Hanzo muttered just loud enough for him to hear and began to walk away leaving Jiraiya to trail in his wake.

"We're we going?" Jiraiya asked curiously as he followed the Kage like leader through the ruins of his village.

"My offices," Hanzo replied without taking his eyes of the road in front of him. The rain had now began to fall harder than ever to the point where it was bouncing of the concrete roads, "He makes it rain every Sunday you know, my men used to say it was his way of honouring the dead. I think it's just his way of making me remember the sacrifices I've had to make."

Jiraiya looked briefly towards the dark blanket of clouds that covered the sky over Ame, was Hanzo insinuating that there was someone in Ame who could control the rain? He had seen a lot of amazing Jutsu in his time but Jiraiya was a bit sceptical that a shinobi had developed a ninjutsu to control the rain. Though the Nidaime had been able to summon vast amounts of water without any water source so he supposed making it rain could be possible.

They walked for another few minutes in silence until Hanzo came to a stop outside a modest building which would easily be lost amongst the large skyscraper like buildings that littered the Amegakure. The buildings didn't look quite as run down as the others Jiraiya had walked past earlier, dim lights illuminated a few windows within the building and door which stood in front of Hanzo was a thick door with a small rectangular box that sat beside it with nothing but numbers on it.

Jiraiya watched as Hanzo walked to the little box and punched various numbers into it, whilst carefully obscuring the code from his view. The door jolted, the sound of several heavy latches unlocking making Jiraiya switch attention from Hanzo to the door which was slowly opening revealing, briefly, the inside of Hanzo's headquarters before two well armed Shinobi both of whom where equipped with giant Kunai and both of whom looked particularly menacing.

"Search him. He'll have weapons, confiscate them." Hanzo ordered as he barged past the two guards leaving them to walk towards Jiraiya as the silver haired salamander summoner ascended a humble staircase and disappeared from view.

"Please face the wall," one of the guards grunted at Jiraiya, "and don't think about doing anything stupid. Hanzo-sama had given us permission to kill if we think you're a danger to him. And we wouldn't want that would we?"

The question was laced with threat and whilst these two 'shinobi' certainly didn't worry him, he didn't want to make Hanzo anymore paranoid than he already was…if that was possible. Doing exactly as the two guards said Jiraiya stood with his face towards the wall just beside the door, his hands level with his face and his legs a shoulder width apart as he let the two guards search him.

They removed everything ninja related from him. His kunai, shuriken and even scrolls where removed from his person by one of the guards and handed to the other before they where finally satisfied that he had no weaponry upon him. Though really if he wanted to attack Hanzo it sure as hell wouldn't be with weapons, he'd use Jutsu, perhaps he'd inform Hanzo that his guards were pretty dense.

"Now if you'll just take this you can go up and see Hanzo-sama." The guard who had just searched him requested taking a vial of thick green liquid out of his pocket and pressing it into the now facing him, Jiraiya.

Jiraiya peered at the little vial, barely three inches long and about an inch thick, he had little doubt what the liquid did. He'd already taken something similar once, all be it, without his knowledge and it wasn't something he was keen to take again. He had hated the feeling of not being capable of using his chakra and wasn't keen to place himself in that situation again though without it, he wouldn't be granted access with Hanzo and that was something he couldn't afford to not have.

Bringing the vial up to his lips and gulping down its contense, wincing slightly at its awful taste, before tossing the vial back to the guard who was carrying his weapons.

"Can I see him now?" Jiraiya asked looking at both guards expectantly with slightly raised eyebrows, as both guards glanced at each other before nodding slowly.

Jiraiya wasted no time in tracing Hanzo footsteps to the door which he had disappeared into whilst he was getting…_frisked _by Hanzo's guards. The sound of latching bolts echoed clearly through the reception of Hanzo's silent office as the guards closed the door behind him.

Knocking lightly on the door to Hanzo's offices Jiraiya waited for an invitation to enter. Feeling the same fluttering feeling in his stomach he had when trying to battle Orochimaru and he was sure that it wasn't just nerves and was left no doubt that if he tried so much as a Bushin he'd be sorely disappointed with the results.

"Enter Jiraiya." The commanding, if slightly hoarse voice, called through the door.

Twisting the door knob and pushing it open Jiraiya walked into the private office of Hanzo. The room was bare, not at all like Tsunade's office back in Konoha, there where no documents or even a desk the only thing present in the office was a large cushion that sat directly in the centre of the room with the form of Hanzo siting quietly upon it. His silver headpiece sitting just beside him allowing Jiraiya to see his face for the first time, his hair was clearly thinning to the point where there was little actually on top of his head, his face was full of wrinkles and the left side of his face heavily scarred from what was obviously a burn. His eyes at the moment where blissfully closed, making Jiraiya wonder if he even knew he had even entered the room.

"Have a seat Jiraiya," Hanzo offered, still remaining in his meditation like state, "you must be tired after such a long journey."

Following Hanzo's instruction Jiraiya took a seat on the floor a few feet away from Hanzo and waited for the man to say something.

"Say what have you come here to say Jiraiya," Hanzo sighed, opening his eyes for the first time since Jiraiya had entered the room, "I doubt you came by to enjoy the scenery."

"I'm looking for someone," Jiraiya answered after a moment's pause deciding to get straight to the point, "A boy, well man now I suppose."

"And you think I know where you can find him?" Hanzo replied coolly, "I'd hate for you to have had a wasted journey Jiraiya but a lot of people here in Ame have died since your last visit. It's almost certain this boy was one of them."

"It's possible," Jiraiya agreed with a nod of his head, "but unlikely. There where three of them, when I left them they where competent shinobi, capable of beating one of my Kage bushins."

At this exclamation Hanzo's bushy grey eyebrow raised he clearly hadn't expected the man Jiraiya to be looking for to be a shinobi, one of his shinobi.

"He's a shinobi?" Hanzo repeated as if to clarify the point and at seeing Jiraiya's nod he continued, "He's one of my shinobi?"

"I assume so," Jiraiya responded "they where all very gifted Shinobi, I'd imagine they would have risen through your ranks fairly quickly."

A frown appeared on Hanzo's face as he tried to remember any shinobi of his that where worthy of particular note.

"Do you have a name?" Hanzo asked, "I'm afraid most of my shinobi are average, no higher than a Chunnin. Most of my more skilled followers have long since died."

"His name was Nagato." Jiraiya answered.

Hanzo's head snapped to Jiraiya so quickly the toad sennin wondered if the elderly man had done himself an injury. Though on some level he couldn't help but feel a little relieved that Nagato was obviously known by the Salamander summoner.

"We…" Hanzo's breathing had gone ragged, his eyes wide with panic and his right hand was pointing shakily, almost warningly at Jiraiya. "We don't say his name here!"

"What? Why?" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"Tell me Jiraiya," Hanzo growled, his voice suddenly turning ice cold and a dangerous look appearing in his yellow eyes, "why are you searching for my enemy?"

"Enemy?" Jiraiya repeated dumbly, "What do you mean enemy?"

"Who do you think leads the resistance?" Hanzo snapped irritably, "Your former student is trying to overthrow me, and you expect me to just think you turned up by coincidence!" By now the Ame leader's voice had gone from the growl to all out scream of fury.

"Nagato? Are you sure we're talking about the same Nagato?" Jiraiya asked. He couldn't see the little boy that he had trained all those years ago leading a revolution against the man who had given his life to keeping his village, their village, safe. Then again he supposed it had been nearly thirty years.

"Oh there has only and will only ever be one Nagato in Ame," Hanzo grumbled, "his face haunts my dreams… that red hair, pale skin and those eyes. Yes only one Nagato?"

That was it. The proof that he had travelled across three countries for, Nagato was still alive and apparently on the other side of the civil war that Tsunade had told him about. There was no way that there was anybody else in Amegakure called Nagato who possessed the Rinnegan. Now all he had to find out was where this faction's bases was and talk with Nagato…that was of course if Hanzo would let him leave.

Jiraiya wisely chose to stay quiet. Despite the fact that Hanzo knew of Nagato was a great relief to him but from the way Hanzo was speaking and the way his eyes where darting insanely around the room, he thought it'd be best to stay quiet for the moment.

"So your pupil is responsible for trying to kill me," Hanzo muttered, almost to himself more than to Jiraiya, "you trained him…Konoha trained him…"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Jiraiya exclaimed knowing just where exactly it was that Hanzo was going with his current train of thought, "you can't be suggesting that I'm at fault here! I haven't seen Nagato since he was fourteen years old!"

"Konoha has always wanted me gone!" Hanzo exclaimed standing from his cushion much quicker than Jiraiya would have thought his old body could do, "Scared that another village would challenge the five great nations…what better way to get me gone than by starting a civil war!"

"You're insane!" Jiraiya argued, standing up from his sitting position to match Hanzo's actions and in doing so towering over the elderly man. "Your paranoid, nobody from Konoha has had contact with anybody from Ame since the second great shinobi war due to _your _policies!"

"Oh I'm paranoid?" Hanzo snapped "He killed my entire family, Jiraiya! My friends, anybody associated with me! He's systematically purging Ame of anything to do with me!"

"Nagato wouldn't do that!" Jiraiya denied adamantly.

"You said it yourself, you haven't seen Nagato for nearly thirty years," Hanzo told Jiraiya, "a lot can change in thirty years, Jiraiya."

"I practically raised him, Hanzo!" Jiraiya growled "I think I know what type of person he was…and would become. I don't believe for one minute he's capable of the things you're saying he is!"

"You think I got this scar by sitting to close to a candle?" Hanzo shouted, "you think my family…my wife, my children, even my grandchildren just dropped dead all by themselves? He's eliminating me…any trace of me from this village. Let me tell you Jiraiya the Nagato you think you know, no longer exists."

"There must be an explanation!" Jiraiya exclaimed, recovering from hearing the news that his former pupil, the boy he had long since thought as the child of the prophecy, may be responsible for the death of innocent children.

Hanzo stayed quiet, averting his gaze similarly to the way Minato used to do when he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.

"I came here for Nagato," Jiraiya informed Hanzo with a hint of steel in his voice, "and I will find him. Even if he is the so called leader of this resistance, I think it's best for your sake if you tell me just where exactly you and Nagato have crossed paths."

Hanzo sighed and wiped his eyes tiredly, "You have to understand. I have given my life to this village; I wasn't going to let some young punk and his band of misfits take it away from me. Many years ago, just after the war, I began to hear whispers about a group starting to form on the outskirts of my village, at first I paid no attention to it but over the years these whispers grew and grew until I could not afford to ignore them."

"Then what?" Jiraiya demanded, "You must have done something to spark this civil war! Yahiko and Nagato wanted nothing more than to protect this village not destroy it! They wouldn't just attack you for any old reason! "

"I made contact with the group," Hanzo continued solumnly "sent envoys to arrange a meeting with them. I had hoped that only the leader would turn up, that I would be able to dispatch him quickly and quietly and without his guidance this group would fall apart. No longer a threat to my rule."

"So what happened?"

"My scouts reported that three of them where coming," Hanzo continued, staring off out of the solitary window of his office and out into the streets of Ame, "two men and a women. I had a small squad of soldiers attack them for a diversion, distracting the two men so that a separate squad could kidnap the girl. The two men wasted no time in arriving at the meeting point, I could tell right then I had made a mistake. They were beyond furious."

"I can't imagine why." Jiraiya replied sarcastically.

"I didn't know what else to do," Hanzo muttered "I couldn't let them take control and these three were obviously the leaders…I had to do something!"

Jiraiya noticed his voice was full or remorse and regret though Jiraiya doubted it was true remorse for whatever actions he had taken against the three who where no doubt Yahiko, Konan and Nagato, but the remorse a condemned man showed to try, in a last desperate attempt, to make piece with God.

"What did you do Hanzo?"

"I held the girl hostage," Hanzo admitted "she screamed for the two of them to flee, pleaded with them but they didn't listen, they would have done anything for her. And they did. I made them fight for her; I promised I'd exchange her life for one of theirs, of course they both offered immediately but that wouldn't satisfy me. I made them fight to the death."

Jiraiya inhaled deeply. Hanzo had forced Nagato and Yahiko to fight to the death in exchange for Konan's life. He had no doubt that both of them would have done anything to keep Konan alive even if it meant one of them would die.

"I can see where this was going. Nagato would have done anything for Konan, even if it meant killing Yahiko and vice versa." Jiraiya informed Hanzo.

"No," Hanzo corrected Jiraiya, "Nagato was pleading with the other to kill him, begging, but Yahiko wouldn't. It was almost touching but once again the love for a woman overrode men's senses. They didn't need her; anybody could tell she was the weaker of the three, if she wasn't she wouldn't have been caught. In the end it didn't matter, Yahiko still died."

"Nagato killed Yahiko?" Jiraiya asked slowly.

"I'm not sure he meant to, the look on his face afterward suggests he hadn't. Yahiko was attacking him over and over again, taunting him…he knew what he was doing, I could see it in his eyes and finally Nagato snapped, more on instinct than anything, but one moment Yahiko is attacking him the next moment he's dead." Hanzo explained in a deadpanned voice to a stunned Jiraiya.

"What happened next?" Jiraiya asked, wanting more details about the lives of his former pupils.

"And then…" Hanzo's voice hitched "then he came back to life!"

The last bit was whispered, like he feared that somebody would overhear his crazy statement.

"Back to life?" Jiraiya asked sceptically, "no jutsu brings back the dead, Hanzo."

"I know that," Hanzo argued tartly, "but he did it. Somehow Nagato brought back Yahiko, I've seen him…fought him, he gave me this _fucking _scar!" He whispered harshly jabbing a finger to the left side portion of his face.

"But how?" Jiraiya asked "maybe it's some form of advanced puppetry?"

"Cant be," Hanzo said shaking his head "nobody has seen Nagato since that battle. It's like he vanished. Yahiko is the one who leads the group again, leads them into battle with her at his side. He plagues me Jiraiya. I see him everywhere, when I sleep, when I look at the clouds he's everywhere AND HE SHOULDN'T BE!"

A clap of thunder and flash of lightening briefly caught Jiraiya's attention before he turned back again to Hanzo who was staring at a spoke on his blank wall relentlessly.

"Yahiko may be the leader to our eyes," Hanzo told Jiraiya with a hint of distance in his voice, "but Nagato pulls the strings…just from where I don't know."

Another flash of lightening and the door to the office burst open, in the darkness the outline of a figure could be seen in the doorway. It wasn't hard to identify the large, bulky figure in the doorway.

"Hanzo-Sama!" the figure panted, it was one of the guards from downstairs that had searched him. "It's happening; the rebels are making their move!"

For a moment neither Hanzo nor Jiraiya said anything, and the guard just stood in the doorway looking anxiously at his leader. The rain was falling harder now and the lightening getting more and more frequent, in the distance Jiraiya could hear the shouts of shinobi between the explosive thunder.

"Well Jiraiya," Hanzo said casting a sideward glance at him as he leant down to pick up his headgear, "It's time to make a choice, your pupil or the future of Amegakure. Chose wisely because once you make a choice theirs no going back."

_____________________________________________________________________

The lake that rested in the centre of Ame was often overlooked now that Amegakure had undergone its rapid urbanisation. With the people of Ame more concerned upon production and buildings than the environment but there was a select few that sought comfort in the lake, taking pride in its enduring nature. Having survived through countless battles, numerous wars it had become a symbol to some who thought the village would once again look as peaceful and tranquil as the lake which had been present since Rikudō Sennin had lived here.

Though most of it's former natural beauty had been long since lost, the once sparkling blue water having been replaced with sickly, slightly green water that was due to the chemicals dumped into it by the various factories of Ame.

Underneath the clouds that where emptying themselves over the hidden village the water on the surface of the lake started to ripple, not due to the rain that was hammering down upon it but due to something else. Something underneath the surface.

The sudden rippling hadn't gone unnoticed and the shinobi that Hanzo had faithfully placed on guard duty, all turned away from their posts to watch as out of the water a small army of shinobi rose. Seemingly completely unconcerned with the water that was now dripping off of them, causing there matching cloaks to cling to their bodies.

At the front of the group stood a small band of shinobi who where quite clearly different to the others. Not just in appearance but in aura, there multiple piercings and violet shaded eyes all reflective in the moonlight as were there scratched hitai-ite but it was the way that the other shinobi stood behind them as if following the unspoken orders given by the forefront group.

"And so the battle begins." A tall, red haired man with multiple facial piercings muttered as he sat upon the protruding tongue of the largest statue in Amegakure. His ringed purple eyes watching the group of Hanzo's loyal supporters starting to gather at the shoreline as his own group stood, waiting for orders on the lakes surface. A smirk appearing on his pieced lips, as he stood on the tip of the tongue, giving his fingers a flex before hopping from his perch effortlessly as he hurtled down towards the streets. The battle for Amegakure had begun.


	11. Chapter 11 the choices of men

AN:- ** I know I know this update is long over due. You would not believe how hectic July was for me! But enough excuses heres chapter 11 I hope you enjoy. Thanks to my beta (fearlessmind) he does a wonderful job tidying up for me! Feel free to let me know what you think, constructive critisism is always welcome as are you positive reviews. I never dreamed i'd get the feedback I do so thank you. Nova out.**

**Chapter Eleven– The Choices Of Man **

Jiraiya stared into the strange yellow eyes of Hanzo, his mouth moving like it was trying to form words but couldn't. How was he supposed to chose, he'd only heard one side of the story; admittedly the tale that Hanzo had told him painted a picture of Nagato that wasn't particularly pleasant. He was left with an impossible decision that Hanzo seemed to want made right now.

"I can't," Jiraiya told the Ame leader with some reluctance, "not without speaking to Nagato first."

Hanzo turned his back to him and went over to a small closet that Jiraiya hadn't noticed, opening it to reveal an array of weapons that had all be designed for one purpose; killing.

"Then you are useless to me Jiraiya," Hanzo muttered as he picked up a two blades and twirled them around in his hands, "the war has started, Jiraiya. Your choice will either save or condemn my country."

"I can't…" Jiraiya started again only to be quickly cut of by Hanzo raising an old wrinkled hand, silencing him immediately.

"I have fought this group for more years than I care to count, Jiraiya. I have come close to death numerous times because of them, yet I survive. That will not be the case tonight, tonight one of us dies. And I'll admit to you, I don't know if I can defeat him."

To hear somebody as powerful as Hanzo admit to not knowing if he can defeat somebody was a shock for Jiraiya. This was a man who had been able to fight against all three Sannin and hold them to a stalemate, just how powerful had Yahiko gotten?

"But together," Hanzo continued, a hint of desperation again attaching itself to his voice "together we could defeat him."

"You do not understand my position Hanzo." Jiraiya informed the elderly man, who had now turned back to face him, blades still in his hands.

"What is there to understand?" Hanzo asked urgently, "You're looking for a man who died decades ago. Whatever you seek from him will be denied. You're searching for a murderer! Why won't you help me rid not only my village but our world of such evil?"

"Because I need him!" Jiraiya growled, growing frustrated as Hanzo's refusal to understand.

This statement seemed to quieten Hanzo. A contemplative look appeared on the elderly shinobi's face before it was hidden by the metal headgear, the sound of air being released echoed through Hanzo's room as he took his first breath with the mouthpiece.

"It seems that you have made your choice then," Hanzo informed him, the hint of desperation which had been present before now replaced with the tone of resignation. Like his fate had just been decided by Jiraiya's last statement.

Jiraiya didn't say anything for a moment. He guessed his choice had been made, he had never had any intention of fighting beside Hanzo but then…he didn't have any desire to fight along side Yahiko either. He just needed to speak to Yahiko, get him to tell him where Nagato was apparently hiding. He had no part in this war.

"Perhaps I could talk to him," Jiraiya said slowly, "make him see sense? He might listen to me."

"And you'll say what? That I'm innocent?" Hanzo asked with a slight edge of sarcasm to his voice, "I am many things Jiraiya. Innocent is not one of them.

"Then what are you going to do?" Jiraiya asked

"I'm going to do what I had always intended to," Hanzo informed Jiraiya "I'm going to go to battle and fight for my village."

With that Hanzo crossed the room at a brisk pace, pausing briefly at the door to look over his shoulder directly at Jiraiya and say, "If I where you, I would leave Ame because in the morning there'll be nothing but rubble. In the draw over there, there is the antidote to the medicine you took earlier. You never know what you might decide in the coming minutes."

And with that he was gone. Walking to what well could be his death. His words echoing through Jiraiya's head, it was still hard for Jiraiya to fathom a man that held Hanzo's power and reputation had gotten so paranoid, been made to live in fear by one man. Granted that one man was a man who he thought he had killed, a man who had apparently killed off his entire family but still only one man.

Was it possible that little Yahiko had done all of those terrible things that Hanzo had said? How was it possible that Yahiko was even still a live when Hanzo had been so sure that Nagato had killed him? There was definitely something strange going on here, the fact that Nagato had all but vanished whilst Yahiko and Konan still resided in Ame was puzzling and only added to the mystery that surrounded his former pupils.

He had travelled for days to get to Ame and wasn't about to turn around because of the threat of war. He'd just have to reach Yahiko before Hanzo did, try and defuse this entire situation and speak with his former students.

Walking urgently across the room to the small set of draws that Hanzo had pointed out earlier and started rummaging through them, not caring in the least for the mess he was making as he threw documents, personal items and god knows what else across the room in search for something to cure his chakra aliment.

Finally after entirely too long searching, Jiraiya came across a similar vial to the one Hanzo's bodyguards had demanded he took. A small wave of relief washed over Jiraiya as he picked it up, glad that he wouldn't have to feel as helpless and disadvantaged as he had when Tsunade had tricked him into drinking that horrible concoction.

Downing the contense of the vial the result was immediate. It was like warmth, normally reserved for the love of a good woman, spread across his stomach. Some might have mistaken the feeling for nervousness but Jiraiya knew that it was the feeling of his Chakra coils beginning to flow freely with his Chakra. It was rejuvenating to say the least.

Following in Hanzo's footsteps Jiraiya left the office and wasted no time in getting down the stairs, skipping a few as he went. He could already hear the tell tale sounds of a battle raging outside, it seemed that Hanzo's little army of misfits had barely waited for their leader to appear before attacking their opposition. The sound of explosions caused by the warring shinobi jutsu, which suddenly explained the numerous decrepit buildings in Ame, the screams of pain echoed across the village with such clarity that it made Jiraiya wince.

Jiraiya was no stranger to battles. When you where as old as he was it was impossible not to have seen action in the name of your Village but the cries of dying people still got to Jiraiya. He had no doubt that many of the people who would die tonight from both factions in the name of Amegakure would be largely innocent, people who where simply caught up in the infighting between Hanzo and Yahiko.

Stepping out of Hanzo's headquarters it was quite a shock to Jiraiya that the streets of Ame where deserted, he'd expected to step out into streets filled with anarchy. Two sides battling for their idea of a future in Amegakure but there was nothing, the street Jiraiya stepped out into was as empty as it had been when Hanzo had led him to the office.

As empty as the street was Jiraiya could still hear the battle raging, if his ears where correct the battle was occurring near that huge lake in the centre of the village. An odd place for a battle, Jiraiya thought, not much cover it was all open around there besides the odd building, and if they had any sense no Shinobi would hide within those buildings that looked only a hares breath away from collapsing on themselves.

Following the sounds of the battle Jiraiya navigated through the seemingly abandoned streets, which no longer held the sensation of people watching him from the shadows, and headed with an almost giddy anticipation that only an impending battle could cause in a shinobi. He had no intention of intruding upon what by all rights was Ame's problem to sort out but he was all too aware how often even Shinobi with the best intentions ended up battling for their cause, and if it meant getting to speak to Nagato or Yahiko he was not adverse to having to fight to see them. After all something's where worth fighting for, and he had a feeling Naruto was one of them.

Turning a corner, Jiraiya quickly came to a halt as he took in the scene in front of him. The battle wasn't raging near the lake it was occurring on top of it, the water beneath the two sides was stained the most horrible shade of red, amongst the bloody red of the water the slumped bodies of fallen shinobi bobbed up and down in the disturbed current of the lake.

In the middle of the lake the familiar giant salamander stuck out like a sore thumb amongst those on the lakes surface. Its bright orange skin a stark contrast to the dark night sky and generally grim backdrop of Ame, on top of the salamander Jiraiya could just make out the dwarfed figure of Hanzo. Hanzo for his part seemed to be in just as good a shape now as he had been when he had fought him, despite his fragile body and aging mind.

It seemed that surrounding the Salamander where a number of shinobi that all seemed to be being held off by Hanzo, though from this distance Jiraiya couldn't really tell how effectively or what toll it was taking on the elderly leader but he didn't seem to be having much effect on them as every time their effort upon him was countered they simply attacked again.

They where an odd bunch of shinobi from what Jiraiya could see from his position at the top of the road, all possessing bright orange hair and wearing the same black red clouded cloaks that Jiraiya had seen Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame wear, their faces all adorned the most unusual heavy bolt like piercings that reflected the shiny black metal under the moonlight.

It was then that Jiraiya noticed the lone figure high above the battle ground floating effortlessly in the sky, two large white wings arching out of the unmistakeably female figures back. It was a unique jutsu, he'd never seen any shinobi with the ability to sprout wings…perhaps a unique Kekkei Genkai only found in Ame? She to was wearing the cloak of Akatsuki like the other five but they where the only ones in the battle field wearing such cloaks.

As Jiraiya jogged closer to the action his eyes kept drifting to the figure hovering above the battle, as he got closer and the clearer she became the more and more familiar she began to look to the aging toad sennin. It was only when she suddenly turned so that it was almost like she was facing him did it twig; those angel like wings that where protruding out of her back where not real wings but hundreds maybe even thousands of sheets of paper! Her hair a vivid blue that was cropped just below her ears, the moonlight only serving to enhance her pale complexion.

Jiraiya was staring at the figure of his one time pupil, Konan. It seemed his prediction had been right; she would become one hell of a women. If somebody would ask him later, he might be inclined to say she rivalled Tsunade in terms of beauty.

The toad sennin was amazed and more than a little proud at how well the women had evolved her unique Origami style jutsu, when he had taught her she had been limited to producing origami flowers and flinging the odd chakra enhanced piece of paper but now, now it seemed she was capable of so much more.

Before he knew it Jiraiya found himself at the edge of the lake that he had, just moments before, been staring out upon from the top of the hill. Channelling chakra to his feet the legendry toad sennin prepared to head across the war zone in an attempt to try and speak to Konan. However it was just as Jiraiya was about to place a foot down upon the surface of the bloody lake that a sudden movement, a movement Jiraiya knew intimately, caught his eye.

A tall, slender man with a long bright orange pony tail had quickly submerged into the water allowing Hanzo's salamanders tail to whoosh harmlessly over his head. Just moments later he leapt out of the lake, water cascading from his body, and landed on the surface as if it where as solid as a rock, slamming his open palm down onto the water.

Seconds later it was like an explosion had gone off in the lake, the corpses of the dead being flung in all directions as what could only be described as a monstrous Crustacean appeared out of the lake, the bloody red water cascading off it's body as it let loose a low crumbling roar. The long haired orange haired man now standing proudly on top of his monster, which dwarfed Hanzo and his salamander considerably but to his credit Hanzo didn't back down or flee, instead simply standing on top of his faithful salamander and facing his foe directly.

Hanzo flashed through various hand signals; Snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse, tiger. A giant fireball erupted from Hanzo's mouth and was soon joined by one from his salamander however the fire never reached the crustacean as no sooner had the Salamander synchronized its own attack the crustacean had launched a jet like blast of water straight for Hanzo cutting straight through the ball of fire and causing both Hanzo and the salamander to leap to the side.

The Crustacean let loose another of its groan like roars weather in frustration or some form of intimidation, Jiraiya didn't know, but it didn't have the desired effect as Hanzo launched another offensive. The salamander launched itself forward, Hanzo still standing on top of its head, spitting bullets of fire as it went most hitting the giant shelled monster but having no effect.

The figure on top of the beast yelled something but Jiraiya was to far away to hear what it was. Jiraiya contemplated interrupting but he was no match for the clam, not even with Bunta, he had to admit that this battle was planned very well. Knowing that Hanzo relied upon, his Salamander, more than any of his troops, knowing that a creature which was primarily a fire using summon would have little effect on water. It was planned with all the military procession that Jiraiya would expect from a military based village like Iwa not a small time faction from Ame.

It turned out the shelled beasts defence was to spin violently, its summoner somehow managing to stay on its back. Water began to fly from underneath the summon as it span at an ever increasing speed, by now it was far to late for Hanzo's salamander to stop it had gained to much moment and went hurtling into the spinning crustacean. The salamander gave a god awful cry as it hit the summons shell and was flung unceremoniously off to the side, Hanzo presumably going with it.

"Amazing isn't it," A low, gruff voice suddenly piped up from beside Jiraiya, causing the aging Toad sennin to flinch in surprise and tear his eyes from searching for Hanzo's fallen form and glance at the side. Standing there, surveying the battle ground was a tall, lean man with medium length spiky orange hair, his ears with a simple metal bar through them, his nose was adorned with three metal bolts on each side and odd looking piecing under his bottom lip, "that a man would fight with so much passion to cling onto what hasn't been his for years."

Jiraiya was having trouble even thinking up a sentence to reply let alone being able to form actual words. Standing beside him, like nothing worthy of note was happening and he was merely enjoying the view, was without a doubt an adult Yahiko.

"It's been a long time Jiraiya-sensei." Yahiko told him without a hint of warmth, his eyes still locked firmly on the giant crustacean almost like he was looking at something that wasn't really there.

"It's good to see you to, Yahiko." Jiraiya finally managed to say. Wondering just how it was Yahiko had managed to get beside him without him noticing.

"Walk with me sensei," Yahiko asked, though it sounded more like a command that a request, "there is something I must take care of."

Jiraiya found himself unable to stop walking along side his pupil, who stepped over the face down floating corpses with practiced ease, toward the giant clam as if he didn't have a care in the world. It was rather disturbing to see his one time pupil walking through a battlefield with such practised ease, people who where mortally wounded where desperately trying to swim out of his path. Out of respect or fear Jiraiya didn't quite no.

The two walked around the giant clam, which paid them no attention, coming to a stop only when they had reached the front of the crustacean being effectively dwarfed by its massive presence. Jiraiya's eyes rested on Hanzo, the elderly man was obviously exhausted as he was all but doubled over and breathing incredibly heavily, his robes where torn and bloody and his grey hair was stained red. The salamander was just off to the side of Hanzo, one of its front legs was bent at an uncomfortable angle and it looked in no position to continue this fight.

A wheezing, unhealthy sounding chuckle escaped Hanzo's lips before it turned into full blown laugh. It wasn't the innocent laugh of a child enjoying a carefree day; it was the laugh of a madman knowing that his time was up.

"You might succeed in wiping me from the history books Yahiko," Hanzo wheezed, his wrinkled hands ripping the metallic breathing mask from his face and tossing it carelessly into the lake, "but my name will be whispered here, whispered as the King who gave his life trying to protect his people!"

A ghost of a smile erupted on Yahiko's face and he took a step forward, away from Jiraiya, the water underneath him rippling.

"You won't die protecting your people," Yahiko spat angrily "you'll died because they rose up against your tyranny! No longer happy to live in a country were one man is willing to sacrifice everything so that he can keep his fancy robes!"

Hanzo again released a wheezing laugh.

"Boy, you understand nothing!" Hanzo growled, standing up straighter than before, "I have given everything, EVERYTHING FOR THIS VILLAGE! And you have the gall to lecture me! I was defending the boarders of this village before you where even a glimmer in your Daddy's eye!"

In one last desperate attempt to still cling on to his crumbling grip on Ame, Hanzo span two kunai – one in each hand – which had previously been hidden in the sleeve of his robe and flung them straight toward Yahiko, the moment the Kunai left Hanzo's hand Yahiko's associates retaliated with Kunai and shuriken of their own. The Kunai Hanzo had thrown got within a frighteningly close range to Yahiko; they got within a metre of the pierced man before he suddenly threw out an arm as if willing the kunai to stop and to Jiraiya's amazement they did, stopping dead in the air before falling into the lake with a soft plop.

Jiraiya looked from the sinking Kunai, rapidly disappearing into the stained lake water, to Hanzo. Jiraiya breath caught in his throat, it seemed Hanzo hadn't had a miraculous defence like Yahiko nor had he been able to dodge and had been hit with the Shuriken and Kunai that Yahiko's friends had thrown. Jiraiya could see the shiny metal embedded in his body, blood weeping from the wounds.

Hanzo looked down at his body with horrified eyes as he sank down to his knees, somehow managing to stay on top of the water presumably using the last of his chakra to do so. He coughed again, spurts of blood flying from his mouth, as his eyes roamed to his bloody arms.

"This is what happens when you fight against god, Hanzo." Yahiko informed the man, kneeling before him. "At least now, you have realised it."

Hanzo looked back up at Yahiko a look of terror in his eyes, "please….please I'll do anything! I'll…" There was a moment's pause like Hanzo was trying to think of something worthy he could offer to Yahiko. Apparently Hanzo had conceded defeat and was just trying to keep himself a live, fight another day so to speak.

"Cease your babbling!" Yahiko interrupted with a dangerous tone to his voice, "You can offer me nothing! You decided your fate twenty years ago, you've lived on borrowed time ever since. Now is simply your judgement."

Turning his head back towards the monster, Yahiko nodded to one of the five stood patiently on the monsters back before quickly turning back to face Hanzo. For a moment Jiraiya could have sworn he saw something not quite right about Yahiko's eyes, perhaps it was a trick of the light.

As Jiraiya stood on the surface of the lake, surrounded by floating bodies and stood behind his former pupil as he lead a military coup-d'etat and reflected on the eyes that Jiraiya knew didn't belong to Yahiko but yet the eyes his former pupil possessed, the shinobi that Yahiko had summoned came running towards them.

"You know what to do." Yahiko ordered.

Without stopping the shorter, limper haired man continued past both Jiraiya and Yahiko before stopping in front of the prone body of Hanzo, obscuring the old battleaxe from Jiraiya's view.

"No…No…not you!" Hanzo whispered, which seemed to echo across the battle ground.

Those that had been fighting seemed to have stopped, watching the on going scene with a vested interest. Hanzo must have been backing away from the squat man, as he stalked forward in an almost animalistic manner before suddenly, like a viper, reaching forward and seizing Hanzo by the head his large open palm covering Hanzo's forehead.

Hanzo screamed, a scream that Jiraiya had never heard come from a human mouth before, his arms waving madly as he clawed at the air but it was no matter he couldn't escape the squat mans grip.

"Yahiko you must stop this! It's madness!" Jiraiya exclaimed. For the first time that evening seeing just what Hanzo had been talking about in regards to his former pupil.

"One mans madness is another mans salvation." Yahiko replied. Never taking his eyes away from the prone body of Hanzo, watching with a sick fascination as the man continued to let lose the most terrible screams.

The screams died down and for a split second Jiraiya thought that perhaps Hanzo's mind just couldn't take the assault that Yahiko's henchmen had launched on him. However his fears where needless because it wasn't long before Hanzo announced his survival with a scream of fury, not directed at Yahiko however but instead directed his fury at Jiraiya.

"See your student now, Jiraiya!" He screamed, Jiraiya couldn't see him due to Yahiko's ally obscuring his view. "Your student is no better than me! Spending his life seeking revenge against an enemy to keep his people safe! We are the same! Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it, Jiraiya! Even you know this!"

"Enough!"

That was the final thing that was said before the squat, limp haired man, wretched the hand that had gripped Hanzo's head away, in its grip a perfect spectral replica of Hanzo, a panic stricken expression on its face as it looked down on its own body as it fell limply facedown into the water. The squat man then threw the spectral form away, as if disgusted at having touched such a thing, leaving Hanzo's soul momentarily floating before them.

Hanzo's spectral mouth was open in a silent scream as it started struggling against some unseen force before he simply disappeared. His soul being ripped from the world forever, leaving Ame in Yahiko's hands.

Once more outstretching his hand Yahiko summoned the body of Hanzo which had been sinking slowly down to the bottom of the lake, it broke the surface and did an arch until it landed with a splash at Yahiko's feet covering the mans face in the mixture of blood and water. Yahiko paid no attention to the spatter on his face only reaching down in one swift movement to bring Hanzo's body up out of the water to stop it sinking.

Raising the body out by the collar of Hanzo's robes and hoisting the corpse into the air with surprising ease. It was greatly disturbing to Jiraiya to see the once powerful leader handing limply in the air, displayed to all surviving shinobi as some sort of disturbing trophy.

Yahiko turned slowly; displaying Hanzo's lifeless to everyone and for the first time allowing Jiraiya to see his whole face for the first time since he had mysteriously appeared beside him. For the most part what he saw was just an elder version of the boy he had know thirty years ago, there was however something greatly disturbing and highly unexpected, where Yahiko's green eyes should have been there where the violet rippled eyes that Jiraiya knew to belong to Nagato.

"You see what happens when you defy god's will?" Yahiko said softly, despite it's softness the message was carried across the battle field and the members of his faction fell to their knees before him like they where basking in his greatness. Jiraiya could see the rippled eyes look at those shinobi still standing, as if scrutinising them. "You have a choice, you either conform to God's will or he will exterminate your traitorous souls. And you can join your beloved leader."

Yahiko's speech seemed to have the desired affect a god number of those shinobi who just minutes before had put their lives on the line for Hanzo mimicked their old enemies and fell to their knees, a select few however turned on the spot and fled.

" _Zōfuku Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" _Came the shout from behind Jiraiya, who turned just in time to see several large dogs leaping from a giant smoke cloud. The dogs where similar to the ones Kakashi used, only larger and much more feral looking. The dogs wasted no time in running past those on their knees and chasing the deserters, Jiraiya pitied any shinobi those dogs caught up with.

Yahiko dropped the body of Hanzo unceremoniously into the lake and walked back towards Jiraiya, he eyed him in much the same way he had eyed Hanzo's shinobi and it made the old toad sennin decidedly uncomfortable. The womanly figure of Konan landed daintily beside Yahiko and followed him as they walked around Jiraiya, careful to keep a few metres between them.

Nothing was said for a few minutes as Yahiko and Konan positioned themselves in front of the giant Crustacean, the five figures which stood upon it's back leaping down to stand alongside his two former pupils. This action brought the five shinobi closer to Jiraiya than they had been in the short time Jiraiya had been watching the battle, and allowed him to see that they two carried the same violet rippled patterned eyes that he had familiarised with Nagato.

For a moment disbelief swept over Jiraiya, how was it possible that Amegakure held _six _Rinnegan users. Where they all relatives of Nagato? Close relatives? It would certainly explain the identicalness of their Rinnegans compared to the metallic silver of Naruto's…but Nagato had said his entire family had been wiped out.

Then Hanzo's words echoed in his ears; _Yahiko may be the leader to our eyes, but Nagato pulls the strings_. If that was true how had Nagato found a way to copy his bloodline into these six? He knew of transplants but never a copying jutsu perhaps Nagato had completed the brilliant things that he had predicted. If little Nagato was capable of copying his Doujustu he must hold unimaginable secrets to the Rinnegan.

"Yahiko," Jiraiya started, stepping forward, "I always told you we'd see each other again." What he had hoped would break the ice merely drew a cock of his head from Yahiko, "I need to speak with Nagato…do you know where I can find him?"

Deciding that he wanted to waste as little time as possible on this watery graveyard, Jiraiya was blunt going straight to point. There'd be plenty of time for catching up once he'd got the nitty-gritty out the way.

"Hanzo may have tolerated you trespassing on my land," Yahiko all but hissed, his voice laced with malice and a killing intent that dwarfed Orochimaru's considerably making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "but I won't. Konoha has no business here! It is only fitting you should be buried with Hanzo…after all Konoha and Hanzo where close allies where you not?"

Before Jiraiya could get any defying statement, anything that would show Yahiko how important it was that Nagato travel to Konoha and meet Naruto, Yahiko raised his arm. It was an action Jiraiya had seen twice that evening and for a brief moment Jiraiya hoped he'd move the arm away from him, point it somewhere else, summons something else but he didn't. Before Jiraiya could even think about dodging or forming some sort of defence he was flung through the air one thought flashing through his mind; what had happened to that little orphan boy who wanted nothing more than protect his people?

That was the last thought Jiraiya had before being plunged into the bloody depths of the freezing lake which sat at the heart of Amegakure no sato.


	12. Chapter 12 Guess who's back

**AN:- Well here's chapter twelve, slightly later than planned but i had real trouble trying to find the direction to take this in. I decided on this I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading Nova. **

**Chapter 12 –Guess who's back!**

_Buzz…Buzz…Buzz _

The buzzing echoed of the cave walls, magnified by the empty space and disturbing the few bats which hung off the stalactites, the constant dripping of water being over shadowed by the foreign noise.

Then as quickly as it started the buzzing ceased, leaving the cave as lifeless as it had been before. For a moment the only thing that stirred were the bats that thought it safe to rest again after the irritating noise had stopped. Just moments later however, a series of images appeared within the cave, images of nine men all wearing large bulky cloaks which covered a good portion of their faces.

"Twice in one year?" One man said his voice light with an air of arrogance about him, "Anybody would think we're getting sentimental."

"Quiet Hidan," The gravelly voice of Kakuzu ordered.

"Is it news on Orochimaru?" The long haired, pony tailed outline of Deidara, a shinobi originally from Iwagakure who had a habit of being rather…destructive, asked.

At the mention of Orochimaru a smaller figure, the smallest of the gathered, perked up seemingly awaiting an answer regarding the legendry snake sannin.

"No," a new voice responded in a gruff voice that bordered on a growl, "it has nothing to do with that traitor. It regards the Kyuubi."

Glances were shared between those that where gathered, news on the Kyubi was scarce, aside from when Itachi and Kisame encountered the beast in a small town just outside of Konoha. Any news on the beast could drastically change the way they went about hunting the Bijuu.

"Itachi, Kisame…I want you both to stop pursuing it." The voice ordered.

"What!" Kisame shouted outraged, "Who better to hunt the Kyuubi than Itachi! He knows Konoha better than any of us!"

"News has come to light about the Kyuubi's container…" The voice trailed off "It'll be harder to capture than before. Even Itachi may not be able to match its power."

This silenced Kisame instantly, his respect for his partner was well known amongst the ranks of Akatsuki, something stronger than Itachi was definitely not something many of them would want to go after.

"So who will be given the responsibility of capturing it?" The smaller figure, dwarfed next to Kisame and Kakuzu's massive frames, asked.

"I will."

Quietness engulfed the cave; a few of the holographic figures shared a brief look in amazement between themselves was Pein suggesting he'd go after the Nine tails alone?

"You're going go after it alone?" Kakuzu asked, with a tilt of his head as if Pein was mad. "This isn't the Shukaku we're talking about this is the beast who nearly destroyed Konoha!"

"Namikaze managed it," The small, rather diminutive figure next to the shark like features of Kisame informed the rest of the group, "perhaps Pein-sama can, too."

"It won't resort to battle," Pein told the group "The beast will come willingly."

"Oh yeah," Hiden replied with sarcasm evident in his voice "I know loads of people who would willing give up their life so the demon inside them could be extracted."

You could virtually hear the rolling of his eyes.

"He will because I have something he'd be willing to give himself up for," Pein muttered darkly, "something…precious to him."

"Like what?" Kisame asked, looking very much interested in what could lure the Uzumaki boy away from Konoha.

"His godfather."

**Three Years Later **

"HELLO KONOHA!"

"Naruto, get down from there!"

The blonde boy currently stood on the roof of a house in the centre of Konohagakure no Sato looked down to see the face of his sensei, looking up at him expectantly. To his credit the boy did look sheepish, his hand going to the back of his head running over the rubbery band of his goggles in embarrassment, a sheepish look on his face.

"Sorry, Asuma-sensei." The boy dropped effortlessly from the roof to the pavement below, landing next to the man who moments before had scolded him. "I'm just excited! We haven't been home for nearly three years!"

"I know," the man, Asuma, replied softly "I'm excited to, but please don't make a scene."

The three years that the two shinobi had been gone had seen changes in both individuals. Most notably in young Naruto, gone was the short slightly chubby boy and in his place was a tall, lean young man. His familiar spiky blonde hair now slightly longer, as were his trademark whisker like birthmarks on his cheeks and dark tinted goggles replaced the mask that he had worn before he'd left. Gone was the bright orange jumpsuit in favour of baggy black trousers, a simple black vest with a sand coloured yellow robe thrown over it. His hands covered in bandages to cover the slightly raw skin that had developed from hours of over training, the familiar jewelled necklace that had once belonged to Senju Tsunade stood out against his battered black vest and gleamed in the afternoon sun.

"Excited to see Kurenai-chan huh, Asuma-sensei?" A perverted looked appeared on Naruto's face as he wiggled his eyebrows obscenely.

"Amongst other things," Asuma answered calmly, "So I would be grateful if we can get the debriefing over quickly. Without any fuss. "

"No problem!" Naruto burst out, looking like he could barely contain himself. "I want to get some ramen anyways!"

The two started their walk through the streets of Konoha toward the Hokage's office in silence. Both taking in the sight of Konoha, it hadn't really changed, it was still packed with a large variety of shops with hundreds of civilians walking between them and the odd Shinobi on a day off. Those shinobi waved and a few even stopped to say hello but they where nobody that either of them where particularly friendly with.

"Hey you see that," Naruto said suddenly stopping a pointing, Asuma followed Naruto's arm to see the Hokage Monument. Only it was different from before, now beside the fourths carved face was the face of Tsunade, "I bet she bullied them into carving her in her genjutsu!"

Asuma flashed Naruto a grin; he still didn't understand why Tsunade hiding her real appearance irked him so much, most men in the village where more than happy to have Tsunade in her twenty something year old form. Not that he was one of them of course; Kurenai was more than enough women for him.

"You know," Naruto said, in an oddly serious voice which Asuma had rarely heard the young man use, "I'd always hoped my face would be the next one to be carved beside the fourths."

Asuma clasped a hand on Naruto's shoulder as they slowly continued their walk, Naruto still staring at the monument with unashamed longing. Asuma idly wondered if Naruto had any idea about just who the man he idolised was, then again he already knew the answer. Naruto had no idea that Namikaze Minato was his father, no idea the blood of the most powerful shinobi to grace Konoha flowed through his veins, not that blood made you a good shinobi. There where more important things than Kekkei Genkai. Fortunately Naruto had the other important attributes too.

They weren't far from the Hokage mansion now, Asuma had forgotten how much he hated this building but every time he saw it he got the same feeling of loathing deep within his stomach. No matter how many times he visited this building to report to the Hokage or pick up missions he couldn't help but see this as the reason his father, the great Sarutobi, spent so much time away from home when his mother needed him the most.

Naruto began to slow as he approached the door to the Hokage Mansion for what reason Asuma didn't quite know but he didn't like the way Naruto was grinning. Asuma had come to associate that grin to trouble…the last time Naruto had grinned like that the twelve's weaponry had mysteriously vanished for an hour.

"Na-" Asuma never got to complete his young students name as for the moment he had started to say Naruto's name the boy had disappeared, leaping high through the air…higher than perhaps the laws of gravity should have allowed but then it seemed Gravity was now Naruto friend.

Naruto landed on the railing that enclosed the balcony of the Hokage's office with all the grace of a cat, barely making any noise as his sandals connected with the cold metal railing.

Naruto didn't why he had expected to see Tsunade hard at work with Hokage duties; perhaps it was just wishful thinking that after three years she would be taking her duties a bit more seriously, though now he could see she wasn't. It was like having a severe case of Déjà vu; it was like stepping back three years ago seeing Tsunade's face down on her desk a few stray bottles of sake littering it and hearing the soft snores coming from Tsunade's sleeping form.

Sneaking over on his tip toes, making no noise at all, a large grin plastered on his face, Naruto entered her Office and continued until he was right beside her. Leaning down, his mouth just centimetres from her sleeping form; he casually wondered how somebody who was labelled as a 'Sannin' could be sneaked up upon with so much ease.

"BA-CHAN!"

The result was immediate. Tsunade jolted suddenly, the dazed look of somebody rudely awoken still present on her face when she swung her fist blindly in the direction of Naruto. Naruto had seen the effect of the Tsunade's punches and really had no desire to be on the receiving end of one.

The fist was plummeting toward him at a speed a woman of Tsunade's age shouldn't have been able to produce which left him with no way of dodging, so instead Naruto channelled as much Chakra to his left hand as possible before Tsunade fist plummeted into him. Next thing that Naruto knew there was the sound of smacking flesh and an overwhelming sting in the palm of his hand that almost made him want to let go of the enclosed fist.

Naruto watched Tsunade, with a smug expression on his face, as she looked from her fist to Naruto and then back to her fist with a blank, almost confused, expression on her face before a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Well somebody has certainly improved their control." Tsunade announced with a smile before yanking her hand back aware that Naruto still gripped her fist tightly and pulled the young man into a fierce hug that left Naruto momentarily limp in her arms.

Naruto wasn't used to hugs so he didn't quite know how to respond. Did he hug her back? Or just let her continue hugging him? Thankfully he was saved from the decision as she released him, moving him away to arms length and giving him the once over.

"Grown up to," Tsunade informed him with a smirk, "you're going to be fighting the Kunoichi off."

Naruto couldn't help but flush in embarrassment at the unexpected praise. His hand running through the back of his blonde locks as a sceptical look passed across his face.

"Really…I don't…I suppose…." Naruto stuttered, not knowing what he should say in return to such a statement.

"I see one thing Asuma wasn't able to teach you was Coherent Speech." Tsunade smirked as she released him and headed back to her seat, plopping down into it with a sigh of relaxation. "So…just where is Asuma?"

"Oh," Naruto said suddenly realising that his sensei wasn't even on the balcony. Sometimes he simply forgot that Asuma, for whatever reason (though Naruto simply put it down as the older Jonin being heavier), wasn't able to leap as high as Naruto, "He should be here in a minute."

"You left him?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not exactly…" Naruto muttered "He just didn't like the idea of entering through the Balcony."

Tsunade blinked owlishly, it was such a Jiraiya-ish mannerism to enter via a window or balcony.

They waited a few moments and sure enough the bulky figure of Sarutobi Asuma came rushing through the door as if he thought a fourth shinobi war had broken out in the office.

"Hi, Sensei!" Naruto greeted, before slyly observing "Took your time, didn't you?"

Naruto saw Asuma roll his eyes as he regained composure and took the seat beside Naruto.

"Not all of us can be blessed with your ability to leap like a salmon." Asuma replied dryly.

"Your mission was a success then?" Tsunade asked, looking eager to know what had happened during their three year training mission.

"Depends," Asuma replied getting an inquisitive look from Tsunade and an alarmed look from Naruto, how could he not think that the last three years were a success he'd learned loads of jutsu, "did I manage to install into Naruto manners, politeness and a generally socially acceptable personality? No."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled pointing an accusing finger at Asuma. "You want to talk about socially acceptable! You where constantly thinking perverted thoughts about Kurenai-san!"

Asuma smiled and patted Naruto on the head condescendingly and informed him, "I am allowed to think perverted thoughts about her…she's my girlfriend."

Naruto smirked this time, in all the three years Asuma had not once out and out admitted that Kurenai was his girlfriend, though everyone knew they were 'involved'.

"Back to the mission," Tsunade requested regaining the focus of the two shinobi, "did you train Naruto adequately?"

"I believe you'll find what Naruto learned and gained from our staying with the twelve to be more than adequate." Asuma recited in an official mission reporting voice. Naruto couldn't help but puff himself up with pride at Asuma's words.

Naruto could see Tsunade eying him as if to determine if what Asuma said was true, Naruto met her judging eyes with challenging ones of his own. Not that she could see them due to his new goggles.

"Well you may go Naruto," Tsunade announced "I'm sure you're itching to see your friends. I'll continue with Asuma."

"Aw," Naruto argued with a pout, unhappy at being dismissed so early in the debriefing, "I haven't even gotten to show you what I learned!"

Naruto was quite pleased to see that Tsunade seemed to be seriously contemplating allowing him to show her what he had learned.

"You can show me tomorrow," Tsunade replied softly, curiosity burning in her eyes "right now I need to just get the boring details from Asuma. Go and get some Ramen."

Naruto smiled at the thought of his favourite meal which he had been denied for years and immediately began a mental debate with himself about what type he was going to have. He barely noticed that his mental debate had lead him to the balcony again, vaulting the railing without a second thought.

"Do they not use stairs or doors in the Daimio's district?" Tsunade asked lightly, having just watched her favourite shinobi vault multiple stories down to the street of Konoha.

"One thing you will need to get used to with the new Naruto," Asuma told her, choosing his words carefully, "is that gravity seems to do a few favors for Naruto."

"Oh? How so?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Asuma replied, knowing the answer would frustrate Tsunade but he couldn't help it. It was entirely the truth, he simply didn't know how Naruto had gained – albeit limited- control over gravity, "it just seems to be a by product of the Rinnegan."

"I've never known of a shinobi being able to manipulate gravity," Tsunade replied, looking sceptical.

"Is it so hard to believe?" Asuma asked, "there are shinobi who can manipulate all the elements, shinobi who can split their bodies in two and see through walls. I firmly believe that there is no bounds to what shinobi can do."

"So what can he do with this new found ability? How did he discover it? Can he fly?" Tsunade rambled.

"It's limited," Asuma announced "he can't fly or jump miles at a time he is still anchored by those rules."

"But he jumped up here!" Tsunade claimed.

"Yes he did, but this is very far." Asuma announced, "Jiraiya could do it too."

That seemed to stump Tsunade. Of course Asuma had forgotten to mention that Jiraiya had to pump a fair amount of Chakra to his legs to be able to reach this height compared to Naruto who used the barest amounts.

"So how does it work?"

"He seems to be able to repel and summon objects." Asuma told Tsunade.

"How strong is it?" Tsunade asked looking curious.

"It varies," Asuma continued, "he can focus it or just let it go. If he focuses it'll just summon or repel that object but if he just lets it loose I dread to think the damage he could cause."

"It seems perfect?" Tsunade told the young Sarutobi.

"It isn't. There's a delay between uses, only a short delay but a delay never the less. Nearly caused a nasty accident before we figured it out." Asuma informed Tsunade, who was listening with eager ears.

"Is that what you worked on? Is this new power the result of the training mission?" Tsunade asked.

"No," Asuma corrected quickly, he didn't want it to seem like the last three years where spent focusing on only one technique, "the gravity technique was something that we stumbled upon. There's something I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Oh?" Tsunade replied, cocking her head to the side. "Feel free."

"I saw Naruto's academy report when my father was assembling the Genin teams," Asuma told Tsunade looking quite troubled, "and their must have been something wrong with them."

"How so?"

"They all made him out to be useless," Asuma grumbled "that he graduated by fluke but everything I've seen of the boy suggests he should have been at least average at the academy."

"Iruka has informed me Naruto's reports where so bad for two reasons. One he didn't always try." She saw Asuma about to interrupt her so she cut across him, having a good idea as to what he was about to say. "More importantly, the techniques taught in the academy use very little chakra. Naruto is simply incapable of using such a small amount; he's used to channelling huge quantities due to the Kyubi. He was just not suited to using academy techniques."

"I guess that's why his Kage Bushins always come out in multiples." Asuma muttered more to himself.

"So what else did Naruto learn if the gravity technique wasn't all?" Tsunade asked, the curious tone back in her voice.

"He's got a healthy arsenal of jutsu from all elemental fields," Asuma replied, slipping back into reporter mode before letting lose a prideful grin, "the boy is like a sponge for jutsu. He absorbs them like nobody I have ever seen, it's quite remarkable."

Tsunade couldn't say she was overly surprised at this statement. This was after all Uzumaki Naruto, the child who mastered the Rasengan within a week. She was pleased to hear that Naruto had built up a decent repertoire of jutsu, perhaps he wouldn't rely on his Kage Bushin so much.

"So you'd consider it a success?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"Very much so," Asuma replied without hesitation "Naruto has improved leaps and bounds. He's much more than a chakra juggernaut now."

"That's good to hear," Tsunade replied thoughtfully, looking happy at the news of Naruto's improvement, "what level would you put him at?"

"Jonin." Asuma said automatically.

Tsunade raised her eyebrows at the unexpected high praise. She had expected, and planned, for Naruto to return at a comfortable chunnin level with perhaps a new tricks but Jonin level? It was a big leap from Genin to Jonin level, a leap that three years ago she didn't know if Naruto would have been able to make. Sure he had huge chakra reserves and was capable of deadly jutsu, but there was so much more to being a powerful shinobi than that…something Orochimaru never understood. To be a powerful shinobi you needed a keen mind, a mind capable of outwitting even the most powerful shinobi.

"Jonin you say…what level Jonin?" Tsunade asked looking at him evenly. Jonin was one of the highest shinobi ranks there were but she wasn't naive enough to think that all Jonin where exactly even in strength, in fact it ranged greatly from somebody of Anko's…unique skills to Kakashi's.

"I'd say between myself and Kakashi." Asuma finally announced after a moments pause.

"He's not the level of Kakashi?" Tsunade couldn't help but sound a little disappointed. Two shinobi of Kakashi's calibre would certainly be useful.

"Very few are at Kakashi's level," Asuma reasoned, "His Sharingan gives him an advantage over almost everyone."

"Naruto has the Rinnegan." Tsunade replied bluntly, knowing that at least within the myth that the Rinnegan was the more powerful of the three great Dojutsu.

"True. The Rinnegan however doesn't grant the user the ability to copy any jutsu they see. Kakashi holds thousands of Jutsu, beside your forgetting Kakashi has nearly thirty years of experience, has seen wars and some brutal battles. Naruto has none of these."

"But you think he will?" Tsunade asked, detecting a hint of pride in Asuma's voice as he spoke about Naruto in a way that hinted what he truly thought.

"If you asked me before the training trip I would have said no," Asuma told her, "that Naruto would be like Uchiha Obito, a Shinobi with a powerful Kekkei Genkai but that simply wouldn't amount to much of anything."

Tsunade was shocked. Not many people spoke about Obito but it was well known the boy had only passed the academy by the skin of his teeth and had been somewhat of a disgrace to the Uchiha clan, unable to master his Sharingan and clan techniques until moments before his death. She was just glad Kakashi wasn't here, it was an open secret that the Copy-cat ninja still mourned the loss of his team mate.

"But now, after seeing Naruto grow over the last three years I'd say he has potential to exceed Kakashi…perhaps even his father." Asuma continued.

"That's a bold claim to make," Tsunade replied, "The fourth was the only shinobi to ever come close to rivalling your father"

"If you'd seen what I've seen him do over the last three years you'd realise that it isn't a bold claim at all," Asuma stated confidently.

"So you believe Naruto could become more powerful than his father?" Tsunade asked again just to make sure that she fully comprehended what it was Asuma was saying.

"If he continues the level of training that he has shown over the last couple of months…then yes." Asuma replied with a curt nod.

"I want to see him." Tsunade asked suddenly.

"You just sent him away?" Asuma replied looking puzzled at Tsunade sudden change of heart.

"No," the buxom blonde replied, "I want to see what he can do."

"Well that's easy to arrange," Asuma replied casually "just send word for him to go to one of the training grounds tomorrow and get him to demonstrate some jutsu. I'm sure he'll be more than willing."

"That's all fine and well but a genin student could do that," Tsunade argued, with a gleam in her eye. "I want to see what he can _really_ do."

Asuma didn't like the look in the Godaimes eye. He'd known Tsunade long enough to know when she got that gleam in her eye it never ended well; a slight feeling of anxiety constricted his stomach as he waited for the Hokage to continue with what ever she was planning.

"I want you to pit Naruto against a shinobi of my chosing." The gleam in her eyes hadn't disappeared and it was continuing to unnerve him, she couldn't possibly want to pit him against Naruto, could she?

"What do you have to gain from making me face Naruto?" Asuma interrupted eager to quickly squash any plans she had for him to spar with his student. "You wouldn't get an accurate representation of his skills…we know each others fighting styles too well."

This time the gleam in her eyes was accompanied with a dazzling smile, which did nothing to cease the anxiety in the pit of his stomach.

"Not you." Tsunade replied, this time it was Asuma turn to look at Tsunade with a calculating look in his eye. Just who was she planning to make Naruto face?

"Then who?"

"One of our brightest shinobi," Tsunade replied, looking extremely pleased with herself, "Nara Shikamaru."

The look on Asuma's face must have been quite comical as he sat their trying to comprehend the fact that the Hokage had just put two of his students in a sparring match. Still a little part of him was hoping that Shikamaru went all out against Naruto; he'd love to see what his former student had learned in his absence.

Naruto was a man on a mission. Whilst many would have thought that the first thing somebody who had been gone from their home village for nearly three years would have done was go and meet up with their friends, Naruto simply had one thing on his mind, ramen.

Naruto was oblivious to almost everything as he meandered his way through the civilians looking for the small, slightly run down, ramen stand that he had spent a good portion of his genin wage packet at before he had left on his training mission. It had been a long three years with no ramen, only able to eat whatever the twelve guardians where having.

Naruto could barely contain his excitement as he rounded the corner which he knew led him towards the Ramen. Thoughts of which flavour to order where abruptly pushed out of his mind when he saw just who was sitting at Ichiraku's ramen stand, he could vaguely understand why one of the people was there but the other! The other didn't even live in Konoha, what was _she _doing here!

Unless…was it possible? Was Shikamaru here on a date with Temari? Naruto couldn't help but smile at the thought of what Gaara's reaction to the two would be. Still striding over he was happy to see that Shikamaru turned disbelieving eyes upon him as he approached whilst Temari simply looked puzzled.

"Long time no see Shikamaru!" Naruto greeted enthusiastically, with a beaming smile in place. He'd always liked the lazy shinobi, right back to the academy days when he, Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba where regularly asked to stay after class together.

"Naruto?" Shikamaru asked looking like he didn't believe what he was seeing, "Naruto?"

"In the flesh." Naruto replied with his arms out wide.

"You're Uzumaki?" This time it was the slightly snide voice that he recognised as the girl who had beaten Tenten in the chunnin exams all those years ago. "You sure have grown up, not so puny now."

"Hey!" Naruto objected, pulling out a chair between the two and sitting down. All thoughts of interrupting them on their date vanishing from his mind, "I was never puny!"

"You where smaller than Hinata, Naruto." Shikamaru unhelpfully informed him.

"Hmph," Naruto huffed unhappy that people still mocked him for his small statue despite him finally under going his growth spurt.

"So how've you been?" Shikamaru asked, momentarily ignoring Temari who Naruto saw shoot an angry glance at pony tailed shinobi, reminding Naruto that they where perhaps in the middle of a date.

"Oh…" Naruto scratched the back of his head, fingertips rubbing over the elastic band keeping his goggles in place. "Not to bad I suppose…but I'm just here for some Ramen. I'll just leave you two to your date."

Naruto got up and turned to head towards the Ramen stand where he could see the intrigued faces of Ayame and Teuchi, a slight smile tugging at Ayame's face as he approached.

The sudden sound of metal being dragged angrily across pavement echoed and Naruto glanced quickly over his shoulder, he wasn't quite sure what he had expected to see but was quite surprised to see Temari standing up, her hands planted firmly on her hips and her teal eyes narrowed at him in anger, her face blotchy whether with anger or embarrassment Naruto didn't quite know. He did know however that Temari could be quite intimidating when she glared at somebody like she was currently doing.

"Date!?" She hissed incredulously, "Why does everyone assume we're dating? I'm only here because nobody else in Suna wanted to deal with this clown!" She jerked her thumb aggressively towards Shikamaru, whilst stomping her foot in frustration. "I only agreed to become Suna's liaison because Gaara asked me."

That caught Naruto's attention.

"Gaara asked you?"

"Gaara may be my brother but you still don't say no easily to the Kazekage." Temari stated, a little more calmly than before.

Naruto blinked slowly as he digested the information. Of course neither Shikamaru nor Temari could see that, his rippled eyes still hidden by the dark tinted goggles he wore. He couldn't believe it; Gaara had achieved what Naruto had worked towards his entire life…Gaara had become Kazekage.

For a moment Naruto felt a twinge of jealousy. Jealous that Gaara was able to achieve so much whilst he was still fighting for acceptance but the jealousy didn't last long, Gaara was his friend. He was pleased that after the terrible childhood that Gaara had had that he was slowly forging his own way into the villagers hearts, but above all it offered him hope. If Gaara was able to win over his villagers than it was possible for Naruto to win over his.

"So Gaara is Kazekage?" A dazzling smile erupted on Naruto's face, "Guess I have some catching up to do then!"

"Still aiming for Hokage then?" Shikamaru asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Sure am!" Naruto enthused, fist pumping the air like he had just gained a huge victory.

"Better get a move on then. You're the only genin out of us left."

The smile which had been present on Naruto's face slipped. It hadn't even occurred to him that in his absence the other members of the rookie nine would have continued in their shinobi careers. He suddenly felt very embarrassed that at the age of sixteen he was the same level as some academy graduates, he was possibly the oldest genin in Konoha.

He remembered Kabuto at the chunnin exams…he had been the oldest shinobi their by a couple of years. He didn't want to be the equivalent when the next Chunnin exams rolled round, for all the fresh young Genin to see him as an instant failure. He was still a Genin whilst Gaara was a Kage, even Shikamaru and Temari where sporting the jonin flak jackets.

"I'd still kick your ass Shikamaru!" Naruto yelled, quickly covering the slight drop in his smile.

"You wouldn't get the chance," Temari snorted, shaking her head causing her hair to shake violently, "this lazy bastard would quit before you could even start any hand seals."

Naruto grinned. It was probably true; it seemed Temari was still pissed about their battle in the chunnin exams. Not that he could blame her, if Shikamaru had pulled that shit with him he'd have felt cheated, a victory like that was hardly worth being called a victory.

"You'd think after three years you'd stop harping on about it," Shikamaru muttered, absently popping some noodles into his mouth and chewing, a frown marred his face as he starred intently at his pork Ramen, "I pity your brothers."

Temari spun on her heel to face Shikamaru, who to his credit looked like he'd have bolted and ran back to the safety of the Nara complex…that, was of course if it hadn't been to much effort. Naruto was beginning to believe that perhaps Shikamaru had been right…Kunoichi where troublesome.

Naruto found himself slightly grateful that the large metal fan that Temari had wielded during the Chunnin exams wasn't within arms reach because he was sure, that if it had been it would currently be wrapped around Shikamaru's skull.

"And just why would that be?" Temari hissed, Shikamaru visibly shuddered and avoided the angry blonde's eyes as if her death glare might produce results if he made eye contact.

Shikamaru was saved the need to answer by the arrival of one fully outfitted ANBU officer landing gracefully by the side of the table which both Shikamaru and Temari had been sitting at.

"Nara Shikamaru?" The Anbu officer asked from behind its white plastic mask with hawk identification painted on, reminiscent of Naruto's old mask before he ditched it in favour of his new goggles. Seeing Shikamaru nod the Anbu guard handed over a small white, folded, piece of paper which Shikamaru took hesitantly.

The guard then turned and looked ifas he was about to leave when he spotted Naruto, the masked man cocked his head as if trying to identify him before he walked forward, a similar piece of paper in his hand, he handed it to wasted no time in unfolding the piece of paper.

_Tomorrow morning at nine o clock you'll be facing off against Nara Shikamaru at training ground five. Your both expected to compete at your highest levels. This is a measure of your skill._

_Lady Tsunade. _

Naruto looked up from the piece of paper in shock. This was why Tsunade and Asuma had told him to leave, it was nothing to do with boring mission reports they where discussing a suitable opponent for him to display what he'd learned against.

Naruto came out of his shock to see Shikamaru look at him with a stunned expression on his face. He could only imagine what Tsunade had threatened Shikamaru with to make him go along with this little test, something no doubt truly horrifying.

"Looks like I wont be able to quit this time."

"What the hell are you two drama queens on about?" Temari asked before Shikamaru got up and stalked away from the table, muttering something indistinguishable under his breath. Leaving Naruto with a very confused looking Temari, which Naruto personally thought was improvement on angry Temari…well that was until she turned her questioning gaze upon him.

**AN 2:- Don't worry I havent skipped out on what happened at the end of the last chapter. You will find out what happened between Jiraiya and Pein...just not yet.**


	13. Chapter 13 Motivating laziness

**AN:-WARNING THIS HAS NOT BEEN BETA'D. (I'll put the beta'd version up when it's avaliable). Sorry for the delay. I've actually had this written for a while, well the basic of it, I was never completely happy with the battle and have re-written it countless times until i ended up with this copy which I'm happy with. ****Hope your happy with it, feel free to comment. ** Cheers Nova

**Chapter thirteen – Motivating Laziness **

Konan had walked this passage to many times to count over the last three years and every time it was the same. The sound of her sandals echoing off the walls, the single light bulb flickered constantly, occasionally plunging the corridor into darkness, droplets of the heavy rainfall from the outside would seep through and drip onto the dirty stone floor as she walked.

She really wished that Nagato had never discovered this chamber, but in the grand scheme of things that was very low on the list of things that she wished that Nagato hadn't done. But yet…she had an ominous feeling that the worse had yet to come.

The chamber was something that Hanzo must have had constructed at some point during his reign, Konan personally thought it was from the second great shinobi war…used for holding his prisoners from the other countries if the number of cells which lined the corridor was any indication.

They where now nearly all empty. They had no need for holding cells anymore; the war in Ame was over after one last bloody battle which she had overlooked from the skies safe as Nagato had said, far from any harm.

The exception however was a small, barely big enough for one human being, cell that sat right at the end of the corridor. This cell was not empty like the others, and hadn't been since Nagato had usurped power, for init chained to the wall like some rapid dog was her old Sensei. It still surprised her to this day that Nagato had spared Jiraiya, when she had watched Jiraiya plunge to the depths of the Lake of Amegakure she was sure Nagato would kill him upon sight when he remerged… but he hadn't. He had battled Jiraiya to the point where the toad Sage was well and truly incapacitated; he had lasted longer than all Nagato's previous opponents, causing more damage to Nagato's bodies than anybody had ever managed…even managing too completely destroy one. In the end however Jiraiya was no match for the five remaining bodies and was simply over powered, it was then that Pein dragged the injured Jiraiya to Hanzo's former headquarters.

Amegakure had changed almost instantly under their rule. Those who didn't wish to live under Pein's rule fled, no doubt seeking Asylum within the stronger villages of Konoha or Iwa but some had stayed, pleading false loyalties to save their own hide. The village of Ame was still very much a work in progress, some buildings where still showing the signs of some of the battles which had taken place and they still weren't getting the level of employment for the villages' shinobi that they would have liked but there was enough. At first it looked like Amergakure no Sato would prosper under Nagato's leadership and for a while it did but as time passed Nagato became increasingly detached, spending larger and larger periods of times locked away in Jiraiya's cell.

Nagato's neglected duties where filled by her. His absence only seemed to fuel the villager's fascination with him, they elevated him from leader to some mythical being that they where not worthy off. Konan herself was elevated to the status of his 'angel'.

Coming to a stop in front of the last of the corridor there was a dim light flickering from underneath the door, signalling that once again, Nagato was at least present in the cell. Quite what her old friend did during the countless hours he spent within Jiriaya's cell she didn't know, but Konan knew it was of the utmost importance to him. Anything Nagato put his attention to was undoubtly important.

Knocking lightly and hearing no answer, Konan pushed the door slightly not wanting to startle Nagato, opening it just a fraction allowing light to poor out of the crack and allowing her just a fractional glimpse into the room. Jiraiya was still chained to the wall, he looked frailer and older than he had done when he had first came to Ame, his clothes where dirty and blood stained and hung of his now frail body, his long white hair was shaggy and tangled covering his face.

In front of Jiraiya stood one of Nagato's 'bodies' the one named Preta Path, whose power lay in absorbing chakra. Opening the door a touch more, allowing herself entry to the room, Preta path had it's chubby, heavily bolted hand pressed squarely into the chest of Jiraiya no doubt keeping the toad sennin alive on the barest amounts of his Chakra whilst absorbing the rest. To Preta paths left stood the long haired, almost feminine looking form of 'Human' path, his hand clasped tightly on top of Jiraiya's head, his long spindly fingers lost in the wild white mane of Jiraiya's hair.

And to the left of them, sat almost on his own on a simple wooden chair was 'Deva' path. The body of their former ally, leader and friend Yahiko staring blankly at the moss ridden wall in front of him, he seemed almost unaware that Konan had even entered.

"Nagato?" She asked quietly, announcing her presence tentatively.

Deva path blinked like he was suddenly aware he was back in this dingy little prison cell. His rippled eyes scanned the room before settling upon her, he looked at her in confusion for a second before standing slowly from his chair.

"I thought I told you," there was no malice in his voice just a tone of disappointment, "not to interrupt me when I'm here?"

"I just wanted to make sure your ok?" Konan informed him looking at him dead in the eyes, aware that she wasn't looking into Deva Paths eyes but those of the true Nagato.

"I'm fine." He insisted.

"You've been down here a lot lately…" Konan trailed off, pushing a little further than she would normally after sensing no anger from her old friend. "The villagers are beginning to whisper."

This time a smile lit up on the face of Deva at this news.

"Whisper that I am a god? That I am some divine being worthy of their worship all because I ceased Hanzo's reign…Well let them. After all it is I who controls life or death," by this time the Deva path had crossed the small space from the chair to Konan standing quiet close to her, dipping his head so his mouth was millimetres from her ear, "only god can control life and death…that makes me a god…doesn't it, my angel?"

Konan shivered. Nagato hadn't displayed open affection for her in years, instead intent on locking himself in Jiraiya's cell until she came down to collect him hours later. She also couldn't help but get lost in the ripple like eyes she knew didn't belong to the face she was staring at; she couldn't offer any argument for his logic. He was the master of life or death, the ability to bring back those who had passed was held solely by him, a feet god was only capable of…and yet she stood here as proof that Nagato could do what he was claiming. He really was God locked in human form.

"And like a God I have only one adversary. One capable of damning our world into the chaos that I…We have fought our entire lives to end." He was speaking with such passion it boarded on anger, something Konan had rarely seen him do.

"Who?" It was barely above a whisper as she hung on his every word. Nagato had been so closed off for the last few years that even this insight, brief as it may be, was gripping.

"In the end," his voice was detached, an odd tone coming from the voice of someone who was normally so cheerful "it will be me, the savoir of the ninja world, versus the demon that is Uzumaki Naruto."

At the mention of the name, a name she only knew because she knew him to hold the Kyubi, she saw Jiraiya lift his head, his hair falling away to the side revealing his gaunt hollow face with blood shot eyes.

"The container of the Bijuu?" Konan asked, looking bewildered as to why this child would hold any more significance than any of the other Bijuu.

"He is much more than a Bijuu," Deva explained "he has been gifted with my eyes in circumstances similar to those I faced when I first awoke god's eyes. Only he was able to save _her._ Spared the pain of watching his loved ones die before his eyes but ultimately… it will be that pain that will see me come out of our inevitable encounter, victorious."

He wasn't making any sense. Was he saying Uzumaki had awoken the Rinnegan? Was that even possible? How would he know if he had? Nagato hadn't even laid eyes on Uzumaki Naruto.

Then as she was pondering this her eyes fell on Jiraiya. Then to Preta path and finally to Human path, what Preta path was doing their was fairly self explanatory, he was absorbing Jiraiya's chakra and ensuring no escape could be made but Human path his skills laid in mind reading…and suddenly it all fell into place. Nagato had spent those countless hours hidden down in the depth of Amegakure researching, literally picking Jiraiya's brains for anything about this Uzumaki Naruto. What ever he had discovered whilst poking around the toad sennin's Konan came to one conclusion…She pitied Uzumaki when Pein finally caught up with him.

Nine o'clock came way too soon for Naruto who had been really enjoying his comfy mattress and having a peaceful night's sleep, enjoying the silence of the night a stark contrast from having to share a boarding house with thirteen other men, which was never quiet.

All too soon he found himself walking towards the Hokage mansion where he would meet with Tsunade and Shikamaru. Truth be told he could think of better things to be doing than sparring with Shikamaru, and he was sure the lazy jonin felt the same, but a little part of Naruto was eager, as he always was, for the competition to prove himself against the only shinobi to get promoted from the chunnin exams.

As he approached he was quite glad to see it was only Tsunade, Shikamaru and Asuma present. The last person to see him before he had left had been Shikamaru and Hinata, it hadn't occurred to him at the time that he hadn't said good bye to Sakura he was just to wrapped up that he was going to get single one on one training. He wasn't looking forward to her reaction when she realised he was back. She had a nasty habit of being rather volatile.

"Good to see you on time," Tsunade told Naruto as she looked at her watch, "we'll be heading over to training ground four for this little exercise. This will be as much for you both to demonstrate your abilities as it is for me to gage if reports are accurate."

"I beg your pardon lady Hokage," Shikamaru asked sounding as tired as normal "but I fail to see what you have to achieve by this sparring session. If Naruto wasn't up to scratch Asuma-Sensei he wouldn't have brought him back….And I've completed both the jounin exam and Chunnin exam. What exactly do you gain from watching us spar?"

"Because," Tsunade responded slowly and in a dangerous voice "I am the Hokage and what I say goes."

She offered no further explanation and apparently didn't need to as the moment the buxom blonde figure of the Hokage started to walk away, Shikamaru trailed after her apparently resigned to the fact that he couldn't reason his way out of it.

The walk to training ground four was quick and done in total silence. Not even the expected mutterings of Shikamaru about how trouble some women where could be heard by Naruto.

Naruto had little doubt that the reason for Shikamaru's silence was the Nara clan member was formulating a plan to end this 'sparring' session as quickly as possible. Naruto however knew he had two very distinct advantages over his old friend, Shikamaru had no idea about his doujustu nor about what Asuma-sensei had taught him over the last three years. Shikamaru's plan would be solely passed on the old Naruto.

It was with giddy excitement that Naruto turned into training ground four. Unlike the other training grounds that where placed around Konoha this one didn't have any portion of forest or river to hide and plot in it was a simple open field, with shortly cut grass and a few strategically placed boulders.

"So…" Shikamaru started in his usual laid back voice, "what are the rules for this sparring session?"

Naruto looked at Tsunade expectantly. He had spent a good portion of the previous night thinking about what rules might be, at first he thought they'd be like the Chunnin exams…but they where a bit extreme, after all both himself and Shikamaru where Konoha shinobi and he doubted either of them would look to do serious harm on the other.

Besides the sooner Naruto proved himself the sooner he could return to active duty and the sooner he could go in search of Sasuke.

"Normal sparring rules apply. No attempts to seriously harm your opponent. To win you must make your opponent withdraw or render them unconscious. And remember what I told you Shikamaru."

Naruto actually saw Shikamaru shiver in fear, making Naruto even more curious as to what it was Tsunade was threatening Shikamaru with.

"Are those rules agreeable to you both?"

"I guess." Shikamaru relucently agreed.

"Yeah lets go!" Naruto yelled his agreement.

"Alright assume your positions I'll be officiating."

Naruto fell into his Taijutsu stance an action which wasn't mirrored by Shikamaru, who just stood their several paces in front of him arms limp by his side.

"GO!"

In the blink of an eye Shikamaru began to flash through a series of handseals, his chakra turned black and seemed to pulse around his body. It gave him the necessary time needed to avoid becoming trapped in Shikamaru's shadow jutsu, the moment the jet black shadow at Shikamaru's feet lurched forward Naruto was gone. Using the Shunshin no Jutsu to vanish and reappear behind one of the boulders.

It seemed Shikamaru's style hadn't changed much. Still hoping to immobilise his opponent and he knew he wouldn't be able to get close to Shikamaru without getting caught in that jutsu. But there was also only so long he could use this boulder for cover…what he needed was to get behind the shadow user, to catch him unaware.

A smirk lit up Naruto's face as he remembered a Jutsu he learned from the Earth users of the twelve had taught him, perfect for assassinations and ambushing opponents. Right now he was sure Shikamaru had braced himself for multiple clones to come leaping out from behind the boulder.

_Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu_

Naruto thought, after flashing through the necessary handseals. The effect was immediate; the ground below him seemed to swallow him up, his body sinking beneath the surface.

It was an odd sensation to be travelling under ground, to have to fight for every step because of the unbelievable resistance that the earth offered. A series of soft echoes brought Naruto's attention to what was going on above him…Shikamaru was on the move. He waited for the padding footsteps to stop before he pushed himself through the earth toward the surface, breaking it silently and pushing himself back to the stability of the surface.

Out of the corner of his eye Naruto saw Tsunade nod with a proud look on her face as he successfully managed to get behind Shikamaru. Stretching his arm out, Naruto flexed his fingers before shouting, "Bansho Ten'in!"

Shikamaru barely had time to spin around and look shocked before he was pulled from his position in front of the boulder toward Naruto.

Naruto leapt into the air, meeting Shikamaru halfway and landing several punches and kicks to Shikamaru's midriff, sending the Nara clan member hurtling backwards landing on the ground with a thud whilst Naruto landed gracefully.

Naruto watched as Shikamaru pushed himself up of the ground, wincing a bit at the pain and clutching his ribs before turning questioning eyes upon him.

"What the hell was that?"

Naruto flashed him a grin before flashing through a series of handseals again, not content with giving Shikamaru any moments rest. He was going to show Shikamaru just how much he had improved.

"Kaze no Yaiba" Naruto cried, a blade of wind proceeded to fly from Naruto causing him to slide back with the force of it, causing dirt to fly from around his feet and Shikamaru to uncharacteristically dive to the side to avoid it, leaving just a poor boulder to suffer the jutsu's wrath.

"Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu"

Once again Shikamaru's shadow shot forward. Jumping backwards Naruto expected to see the shadow stop, like it had back in the Chunnin exam but it didn't, instead continuing forward until it wrapped his leg and yanked him toward Shikamaru, dragging him across the ground.

It seemed he wasn't the only one who had grown.

Before he could even think about escaping a weight landed on his stomach, forcing him into a sitting position, the air out of his longs in one long wheezing breath. A swift punch from Shikamaru connected to his face, forcing him back down to the ground, a crack for a moment had Naruto thinking his nose had broken but the lack of pain suggested overwise.

It wasn't until Naruto stood he realised what had cracked. The goggles he had thought where such an improvement to the stuffy mask and had snapped under the force of Shikamaru's punch, leaving his metallic silver eyes free for the world to see.

"Well that is certainly interesting." Shikamaru mumbled to himself staring at his eyes with interest.

Taking advantage of Shikamaru's momentarily lapse in concentration Naruto used a technique that he had only used a few times. Whilst he had been away one of the main area's Asuma-sensei had been keen to explore was drawing upon the Kyubi's Chakra, mainly for when he ran out of his own and was still in need of some. However, when they began exploring this option something rather unique occurred.

Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth Naruto began to channel his chakra. It was a similar feeling to that experience when channelling chakra for tree climbing or water walking only a lot more intense, like his very Chakra was trying to rip through the surface of his skin…which he supposed wasn't to far from the truth.

Opening his eyes and looking down at his hands, he couldn't help but smile with contentment as he saw the reddish outline of his own Chakra swirling off his body in waves.

It seemed that Shikamaru had gotten over the shock of his revealed Dojutsu because, due to their close proximity, Shikamaru launched into a flurry of Taijutsu that Naruto wouldn't have expected the lazy shinobi to be capable of. Truth be told, had Naruto not have created what he liked to call a 'chakra shield', then he'd probably have been knocked unconscious.

The fact was the moment Shikamaru's fist impacted with the haze of Chakra he withdrew it like a scolded child. Clutching his hand as if it where burnt, Shikamaru hissed in pain before apparently reappraising the approach of close quarters combat and leaping several metres away, no doubt thinking of how best to tackle somebody who he seemingly couldn't touch anymore.

Not willing to let Shikamaru have anytime to formulate a plan Naruto tensed, putting every bit of strength into channelling his chakra. The haze of chakra that surrounded his body pulsed for a moment before springing from his body, much in the same way that Shikamaru's shadow jutsu did, for a moment the furious face of the Kyubi appeared snapping its jaws as it rushed towards Shikamaru, who scrambled away as quickly as he could.

He wasn't quick enough. The Chakra soon caught up with, and engulfed the Nara in a haze of red chakra. The impact was immediate, Shikamaru dropped to the floor, writhing in pain.

Now Naruto didn't know what it felt like when his chakra surrounded somebody else but from what Asuma had said it felt like being suffocated, like his own chakra was being beaten into submission…like his own life force was being taken over.

Naruto began to pant; sweat began to gather on his forehead as he continued to pump his own chakra into the tendril that now connected him to Shikamaru. Naruto wasn't stupid he knew he couldn't do this forever, he simply wasn't good enough at Chakra control but he hoped to do it long enough to leave Shikamaru incapacitated and for him to win.

Although it seemed Tsunade had other ideas. Clearly having seen enough by this point, despite Shikamaru not giving up though Naruto wasn't sure Shikamaru could give up even if he wanted to.

"That's enough, Naruto." Tsunade called from the side lines, Naruto blinked and looked to Tsunade losing all concentration that he had put into channelling his chakra causing it to disperse, leaving Shikamaru panting for breath on the floor.

For a second Naruto thought he had gone too far. That in the haze of anticipation he had forgotten what he was, no matter how much he might hate to admit it he wasn't just your average shinobi…he was the container of the most powerful bijuu in existence even the slightest slip in control could result in somebody's death. However a small, reassuring smile from Tsunade put those doubts to the back of his mind.

"You ok Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked, as the young shinobi picked himself up. His clothes where shredded and smouldering slightly, the exposed skin was red raw and looked extremely sore.

"Yeah," Shikamaru panted, turning his eyes back to the pair of blondes and standing back up straight before wincing and clutching at his ribs, "just what happened to you Naruto?"

Naruto grinned uneasily, shifting his gaze towards Tsunade who gave the slightest nod of permission.

With a sigh Naruto began recounting everything to his friend, trying to not leave anything out. Shikamaru for his part sat their, whilst being attended too by Tsunade, and listened intently. Like he was absorbing every ounce of information and storing it away for further usage.

When Naruto finished his tale they had both ended up laying on there backs staring up at the clouds in a manner Shikamaru seemed all to accustomed to, leaving Tsunade the only one standing – watching absently from the sidelines as Naruto and Shikamaru chatted with abandon, seemingly forgetting that she was there.

"So that's why you where wearing that goofy mask?" Shikamaru asked with a slight smirk, "not because you had 'injured' yourself retrieving the Godaime?"

"Nope!" Naruto chirped happily, pleased that his little lie had deceived even the genius of the rookie nine.

"So if you went through so much trouble to hide your bloodline…why are you telling me?" Shikamaru asked curiously, turning his head away from the shapeless clouds and toward Naruto.

Naruto flashed a look to Tsunade. His eyes sending the Godaime a questioning look asking her silently why she had allowed him to tell Shikamaru when she had made it perfectly clear in the past that telling his friends was out of the question.

"Because," The buxom blonde Hokage took over from Naruto, "there is something happening in the shinobi world which hasn't happened since my grandfather was Hokage."

Shikamaru lifted his head from the ground and stared at the Godaime waiting for her to continue. Naruto for his part was eager to hear more about the first Hokage.

"There is an organisation which has formed between the most wanted criminals from across the Shinobi nations. They call themselves Akatsuki. We have known of them for a long time but up until recently their activities where restricted to collecting various bounties."

"So why are they a threat?" Shikamaru asked. "If there just being hired to find other wayward shinobi…perhaps you could hire them to find Sasuke?"

"Out of the question Shikamaru, like I said until recently their activities seemed to just be gathering resources. Now they've made there plans at least partially known from what Jiraiya was able to tell me."

"I'm guessing it's nothing good?" Shikamaru voiced an expression which Naruto took as fear on his face. Like he dreaded what Tsunade would tell him.

"Not at all," Tsunade confirmed, "from what Jiraiya was able to tell me before he left. The Akatsuki seem to be collecting the tailed beasts."

Naruto felt his eyes widen. This group was hunting the Bijuu…they where hunting him!

"Why does this impact us?" Shikamaru asked curiously, "There hasn't been a Bijuu in Konoha since the Kyubi attacked…"

Naruto knew that Tsunade's hesitation to answer was her way of gently prodding him towards confessing his darkest secret to Shikamaru. He didn't understand why she was making him tell Shikamaru, the third had always thought it best to keep it as quiet as possible.

"Because I'm here." Naruto told Shikamaru glumly, "When the Yondaime defeated the Kyubi he had to find something to seal the Kyubi's soul into…and, well he chose to seal the Kyubi within me."

The shock on Shikamaru's face was similar to how it had looked when his eyes had been revealed. It was almost like Shikamaru couldn't comprehend what he was being told, Naruto saw the shadow user look at Tsunade for confirmation.

"So you're a Jinchuriki…" Shikamaru muttered, looking lost in a train of thought "It explains why Neji and Hinata are so fascinated with your Chakra system…"

Naruto blinked he hadn't noticed the two young Hyuga ever showing an interest in his Chakra system…then again he hadn't really paid much attention to either of them.

"So you want us to protect Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," Tsunade replied with a shake of her head "Naruto can protect himself…What I want is people who can work with Naruto to protect Konoha. Unfortunately this discounts most of the elder shinobi…who still bare some resentment towards Naruto."

"Why?"

Never before had Naruto experienced two people talking about him as if he weren't their. He'd had plenty of experience of people completely ignoring his presence but never talking about him as if he wasn't there.

"Fear mainly," Tsunade commented "they fear that Naruto will unleash the Kyubi…"

"That's completely stupid," Shikamaru commented with a shake of his head. Never before had Naruto heard Shikamaru use a condemning tone of voice, like he was judging those who had treated him badly, "anybody who spoke to Naruto would know he loves Konoha!"

"That's just it. They didn't take the time to speak to him," Tsunade grumbled, "which is why I need to know he has support when they come for him."

Naruto snorted, Baa-chan was making him sound like some academy student incapable of defending himself.

"I don't need support!" Naruto exclaimed, "If they come looking for me I'll show them I'm no push over!"

"Whilst that's all very admirable," Tsunade told him gently, a look of fondness in her normally hard brown eyes, "but where not talking about some deranged Genin anymore. We're talking hardened war criminals, capable of the most despicable things. You've already met two of them."

"Really? Who?"

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame," Tsunade informed him, realisation dawning on Naruto just why those two had been on the boarder to Konoha all those years ago. "One murdered his entire clan in cold blood and the other is responsible for the assassination of several of the bloody mists elders. Those are the type of people who we're dealing with."

"They where coming for me?"

"Indeed." Tsunade replied with a nod, "Luckily you had Jiraiya with you. Not even Itachi is fool enough to go toe to toe with Jiraiya. However should they make a move for you again, you won't have Jiraiya to battle for you."

"You think it's likely that Akatsuki will make another move," Shikamaru asked quietly, obviously still trying to digest all the information he had been hit with.

"Over the last few years reports have reached me that they have claimed a number of the other Jinchuriki's…most widely reported was the fall of Iwa's four tails, a man named Roshi."

"They've already started then…" Naruto muttered sadly. It was no longer a question of if they came but when…like it had been pre-destined that Naruto would have to fight for his life all because a group of rogue shinobi wanted what was sealed within him.

"I'll talk to the others then," Shikamaru announced, breaking Naruto from his thoughts and causing both himself and Tsunade to look at the youngest Nara in shock, "what? You think the others won't want to help? Please, we've got your back Naruto."

"You don't want my approval?" Tsunade asked lightly.

"Not really," Shikamaru replied with a shrug, "if you deny us we'll do it anyway. We won't let them come for Naruto."

"You sound like your preparing for war?"

"Aren't we?" Shikamaru replied with raised eyebrows, as if the question had an obvious answer, "you get our sensei's, I'll get the others. Come on Naruto, I'm sure Sakura wants to see you!"

Naruto leapt to his feet, a grin on his face partially due to the way that Shikamaru had talked to Baa-chan and stood up for him and partly because, through the mayhem of the last few days, he had completely forgot he hadn't seen Sakura in almost three years.

**AN 2:- I always said I wouldnt make Naruto Pein version 2 but the ****Bansho Ten'in is one of two of Pein's jutsu which I will be keeping the other is a rather untamed version of Peins Black rods of Chakra which I used in this chapter against Shikamaru. I used this mainly because I love the idea of Peins Chakra being intoxiating and with Narutos Pet demon it has potential...Like I said above sorry for the delay and feel free to comment. Cheers Nova **


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